HIGH HOPES FOR UGANDA’S NORTHERN LINE

Twenty years since the 500km line from Tororo junction (on the main Kampala-Mombasa railway) to Pakwach ceased operating, Ugandan President Museveni formally launched the reopening in October. Important intermediate stations are Mbale, Kumi, Soroti, Lira and Gulu.

Rift Valley Railways (RVR), the concessionaire working the 1,000m-gauge Ugandan railways, spent $US2 million on the 10-month refurbishing and plans to invest nearly $14 more in a second phase, to increase load capacity. The reopening of the railway has eased the transport of goods significantly – notably that bound for South Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.