East Africa to Discuss Railways Revival

[John Ashworth]

East Africa to Discuss Railways Revival

Faridah Kulabako
The Monitor
5 March 2010

Kampala — The East African Community will between March 11 and 12 hold a two-day conference in Dar-el-Salam, Tanzania that is expected to iron out modalities of financing for the region's dilapidated railway system.

The conferenec is also expected to seek for synergies on the way forward for the now crippled railway network.

Organised under the theme, 'Revitalising the Railways for Enhanced Regional Integration and Economic Growth', the conference will also discuss Public Private Partnership (PPP) in railways within the region.

The forum, which is part of the process of actualising the East African Railway master plan will be the largest social infrastructural investment in the region, to be organised by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

Master plan

The EAC railway master plan seeks to rejuvenate the existing railway lines serving Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Southern Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.

The East African Railway master plan was a directive by the Summit of the EAC Heads of State that aimed at revamping the railway network after decades of neglect.

The Canadian consulting infrastructure development firm, CPCS Transcom that carried out the survey on the master plan will also present recommendations on what the region needs to do to restore the railways system in the medium and long term

"The recommendations in the master plan have financial implications and it is this context that the EAC Secretariat is holding the regional conference to drum up support from development partners and potential investors," reads the statement in part.

Mr Peter Kieran, CPCS Transcom President is expected to make a presentation on the EAC Railway master plan with the view of providing an overview of the study findings.

He will also present the current financial and physical state of railways in EAC as well as highlight the challenges related to enabling current rail operations.

The conference will be attended by regional ministers of Works and Transport.