Kenya import levy to fund standard gauge

[John Ashworth]

KENYA IMPORT LEVY TO FUND STANDARD GAUGE

[M. Hardy-Randall]

With regard to the proposed standard gauge line from Mombasa, have any details been released for the planned route? I am wondering how they plan to overcome the escarpment near Mombasa, which is currently traversed by an open air spiral near Mazeras.

[John Ashworth]

As far as I know they plan to stay pretty close to the existing route. Not sure how they will cope with gradients and things like the Mazeras spiral, but I suppose they've got better mapping and construction techniques now than they had a century or so ago. Also more powerful locomotives, at least working in multiple.

If the new line from Lamu Port ever gets built, that might be a completely new route so as to link to Ethiopia and South Sudan.