In today’s competitive economic landscape, rail freight is crucial and operators are looking to expand their network capacity and productivity with investments in both advanced technology and infrastructure. In fact, the demand for new and upgraded rail lines has been growing rapidly in recent years.

When considered in terms of ton-miles or tonne-kilometres hauled per unit of energy consumed, rail transport can be more efficient than other means of transportation.

It is not lost on observers that trains made the industrial revolution possible. When goods need to be moved across long distances, few transportation modes can be as efficient as railroads. This is why trains have always been part of the logistics chain.

Compared to transport by road, transport by rail is more environmentally friendly, as fuel consumption is lower. It is also possible to transport huge shipments at once over long distances, at relatively low cost. In addition, rail freight transport is well-organised with fixed timetables, which give accurate rail freight quotes.

Rail freight particularly comes in handy when looking for high speed delivery over long distances, shipping large quantities in bulk, or shipping inland from a port.

Raw materials such as coal and iron ore are also best transported by rail freight, as it uses three times less fuel than road transport. President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the SGR freight service on December 1, 2017, followed by the introduction of double-stack freight trains on September 29, 2018.

By 2019, an average of 16 freight trains were operated on a daily basis. As of February 24, 2020, 13,000 trains had operated on the SGR over a total distance of 6,368,000 kilometres.

In terms of cargo tonnage, over 760,000 TEUs had been transported by the beginning of March, 2020.

There are currently 17 Kenyan Junior Locomotive Drivers who drive freight trains independently.

Technological innovations

Africa Star Railway Operation Company (Afristar) transports grain, fertiliser and dangerous goods.

Just like any other industry, the rail freight business is subject to change and trends, thanks to technological innovations and implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics and cloud computing, all having an effect on rail freight. It is also noteworthy that Transport Management Systems (TMS) are becoming the norm, with each new version offering more technology, analytics, and more options for optimisation of transport.

Innovations have also been witnessed in the field of wagon technology, with advancement in areas such as loading/unloading times; carrying capacity (through bigger wagons and/or higher axle loads); better bogies (that permit faster speeds and fewer derailments); and better braking systems and draw-gear (that allow longer trains).

Afristar is keen on adopting these technologies to offer the best service to its customers.

With railways offering significant cost efficiency for freight (including container) haulage over distances in excess of 300km, rail is assuming an increasingly important role in trade feeder transport.

It is being buttressed in this role by truck transport which assumes a local feeder role, involving the local distribution of traded commodities between inland port stations and the trade originating and terminating locations, designated as trade generating locations, over distances which rarely exceed 50km.

So far, rail freight transport has greatly contributed to the decongestion of the port of Mombasa as the increased capacity of transport infrastructure is meeting the existing transport demand at the port, resulting in the movement of high freight volumes.

The region is also set to become a competitive investment destination as the SGR will lead to higher speeds thus reducing transit times between destinations, and consequently, lower costs of production. Additionally, better access to markets will aid exploitation of various resources in the region.

The writer is a communications adviser, Africa Star Railway Operation Company