Kenya Railways inks tea transportation deal with KTDA

Speaking at the same venue, the Kenya Railways Managing Director Phillip Mainga assured the KTDA team that opting for the Standard Gauge Railway was the best choice because of the benefits associated with railway transport. He outlined that Kenya Railways guarantees large volumes of cargo transported over shortened transit times due to high haulage capacity and the high speeds of the trains. He also assured KTDA of the safety of their cargo while in transit.

Reassurance on Capacity

“We are glad to have this partnership with you. I assure you that Kenya Railways is up to the task. We have enough capacity to handle all the cargo you can bring our way. At the moment we are running 9 to 11 freight trains every day between Mombasa and Nairobi and we are able to do even more if need be,” he said. “But of paramount importance is the promise our service offers. We are always on time and the safety of your cargo is guaranteed,” he added.

Mainga further added that the partnership will lead to decongestion on roads. “Transporting tea through Kenya Railways means that the roads will be decongested because one train can transport an equivalent volume that would take many trucks to transport by road. Today we are transporting 31 containers of tea on one train. This would have taken 31 trucks if we were to do it by road. We are therefore glad to be in this partnership with KTDA because the Madaraka Express Freight Service is a faster, safer and more efficient option”.

Commenting on the same, KTDA Holdings Limited Chairman, David Ichoho, said the organization is piloting 20,000 packs per week as it continues to streamline the process for full migration from road to rail transport.