Tuesday July 28, 2026
A freight train stands at Port Reitz Station on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Mombasa, Kenya, July 9, 2026. By July 26, the line — a flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation — had carried more than 50 million tonnes of freight, its operator said Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
Kenya’s Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has crossed a major transport milestone, carrying more than 50 million tonnes of freight since operations began, the operator said Monday.
The railway, a flagship project under Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, has also recorded more than 3,300 consecutive days of safe operation since its launch on May 31, 2017.
Over that period, the line carried 18.606 million passengers, while total freight volume climbed to 50.015 million tonnes, according to the Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar), which supplies operational and technical support for the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR.
Running for 472 km, the railway connects the southeastern port city of Mombasa with Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. It is the country’s first modern railway built since independence and represents a major outcome of China-Kenya cooperation under the BRI.
Cargo traffic has grown consistently since freight operations formally started in 2018, accompanied by steady gains in operating efficiency.
While the service initially focused on containerized goods, it now handles a broader range of cargo, including grain, fertilizer, steel, cement clinker, agricultural produce and cold-chain shipments.
The SGR has streamlined logistics, lowered overall transport costs and strengthened links between the Port of Mombasa and inland destinations. It has also supported the reliable functioning of industrial networks and supply chains.
Afristar said it would continue collaborating with Kenya Railways to expand transport capacity and improve service quality, providing safer, more efficient and convenient rail services to support Kenya’s economic and social development.
A crane lifts a container at Port Reitz Station on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Mombasa, Kenya, July 9, 2026. Cumulative freight transported on the railway, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation project, surpassed 50 million tonnes as of July 26, the operator said Monday.
Since entering service on May 31, 2017, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has completed more than 3,300 consecutive days of safe operations. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
A gantry crane raises a container at Port Reitz Station along Kenya’s Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Mombasa on July 9, 2026. The operator said Monday that cumulative freight volume on the line, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation project, had topped 50 million tonnes by July 26.
The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has maintained its safe operating record for more than 3,300 consecutive days since services began on May 31, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
A container is hoisted by a gantry crane at Port Reitz Station on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Mombasa, Kenya, July 9, 2026. Freight carried on the railway, a flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, exceeded a cumulative 50 million tonnes as of July 26, according to the operator on Monday.
From the start of operations on May 31, 2017, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR has logged more than 3,300 consecutive days of safe service. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)
