:en:Uganda Railways Corporation

File:URCengines.jpg

In 2005, the Rift Valley Railways Consortium (RVRC) from South Africa was awarded a concession to manage URC and Kenya Railways.{{cite web|url=https://www.afdb.org/en/projects-and-operations/project-portfolio/p-z1-dc0-011/ |title=Kenya–Uganda Railways Concession |access-date=24 February 2018 | date=5 July 2010 |publisher=African Development Bank (AfDB) | author=AfDB |location=Abidjan}} RVRC was scheduled to take over operations on 1 August 2006. However, the East African Standard reported on 28 July 2006, that the take-over was postponed until 1 November 2006.{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200607280144.html | title=East Africa: Kenya And Uganda Railways Takeover Date Postponed | first=Kimathi | last=Njoka | date=28 July 2006 | access-date=24 February 2018 |newspaper=The Standard (Kenya) via AllAfrica.com |location=Nairobi}} It actually took place in November 2006 and was scheduled to last for 25 years.{{cite web|title=RVR to take over Kenya–Uganda Railways |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1138005/rvr-kenya-uganda-railways |access-date=24 February 2018 |

date=30 October 2006 |first=Mikaili |newspaper=New Vision |last=Sseppuya |location=Kampala}}

The 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis included destructive riots that blocked and partly destroyed the rail system linking Kenya and Uganda, leading to economic difficulties in supply for Uganda. Further, destruction and loss of income led to significant financial losses.{{cite web |access-date=24 February 2018

|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200802111925.html | title=Kenya: Railway Transport Also Paralysed | first=Albert | last=Ahabwe | date=11 February 2008 | newspaper=East African Business Week|location=Kampala}}

On 9 October 2008, Toll Holdings of Australia entered into a contract to manage the Kenya-Uganda railway, replacing management by RVRC. Officers from Toll subsidiary Patrick Defence Logistics would manage the railway after the transition.{{cite news | url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24472435-643,00.html | title=Toll to manage Kenya-Uganda railway | work=The Australian | author=Speedy, Blair | date=10 October 2008 | access-date=11 October 2008 | archive-date=12 October 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012110849/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24472435-643,00.html | url-status=dead }}Toll to shore up embattled RVR International Railway Journal September 2008 page 8

In August 2017, Kenya terminated the RVRC concession, citing failure by RVRC's failure to perform as stipulated in the concession agreement.{{cite web|access-date=24 February 2018 |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Kenya-ends-Rift-Valley-Railways-contract/2560-4040424-lofuc0z/index.html | title=Kenya ends Rift Valley Railways contract |date=1 August 2017 |first=Njiraini |last=Muchira |newspaper=The EastAfrican |location=Nairobi}} In October 2017, Uganda followed suit,{{cite web|title=Government cancels Rift Valley Railways deal |url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Government-cancels-Rift-Valley-Railways-deal/688334-4129752-144xd01/index.html | access-date=24 February 2018 | date=8 October 2017 |last=Frederic Musisi |first=and Thembo Kahungu | newspaper=Daily Monitor |location=Kampala}} but RVRC ran to court to stop the termination.{{cite web| url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Markets/Uganda--Kenya-failed-railway-deal---RVR-chief/688606-4140902-15aa6p0/index.html |title=Uganda, Kenya failed railway deal - RVR Chief |

access-date=24 February 2018 |date=12 February 2018 |

newspaper=Daily Monitor |first=Fredric |last=Musisi |

location=Kampala}}{{cite web|date=12 February 2018

|url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Govt-RVR-fresh-legal-battle-railway-deal/688322-4300740-poougjz/index.html |

title=Government, RVR in fresh legal battle over railway deal |access-date=24 February 2018 |newspaper=Daily Monitor |first=Fredric |last=Musisi |location=Kampala}} In late February 2018, URC finally took possession of the concession assets and resumed operating the metre-gauge railway system in Uganda.{{cite web| url=http://observer.ug/news/headlines/57044-ugandans-welcome-revamped-passenger-train-services.html |access-date=2 March 2018 |title=Kampalans welcome revamped passenger train services |

date=27 February 2018 |first=and Mercy Ahukana |last=Alfred Ochwo |newspaper=The Observer (Uganda) |location=Kampala}}

File:MV Kaawa.jpg

URC operated three international train ferries on Lake Victoria: {{MV|Kabalega}}, {{MV|Kaawa}}, and {{MV|Pemba}}. On 8 May 2005, however, Kabalega and Kaawa collided{{cite web|access-date=24 February 2018

|url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1117857/ferry-report |title=Ferry report out |newspaper=New Vision | location=Kampala |last=Candia |first=Steven}} almost head-on. Kaawa damaged her bow and Kabalega suffered damage to her bow and flooding in two of her buoyancy tanks.{{cite web|title=MV Kabalega Crewman Narrates Ordeal |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1125351/-mv-kabalega-crewman-narrates-ordeal |access-date=24 February 2018 |date=9 May 2005 |newspaper=New Vision |location=Kampala | author=Vision Reporters}} Kaawa returned to port, but a few hours after the collision, Kabalega sank about {{convert|8|nmi|km|0}} south-east of the Ssese Islands.{{cite web|title=Disaster: Cargo ship sinks after collision | url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1125350/disaster-cargo-ship-sinks-collision |access-date=24 February 2018 |

date=9 May 2005 |author=Steven Candia, Gerald Tenywa and Henry Mukasa |newspaper=New Vision |location=Kmpala}}

In May 2008, the Daily Monitor stated that it expected the Ugandan government to announce in that year's budget speech a government allocation of UGX:14 billion to buy a new train ferry to replace Kabalega.{{cite web | url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200805300198.html | title=Uganda: Gov't Set to Replace Sunken MV Kabalega | last=Biryabarema | first=Elias | date=30 May 2008 | work=Daily Monitor | publisher=Monitor Publications Limited | access-date=24 May 2011}} In September 2009, however, the Uganda Radio Network said the Ugandan government was unlikely to replace Kabalega soon.{{cite web | url=http://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=23859 | title=Sunken MV Kabalega Ship May not be Replaced Soon Says Government | date=8 September 2009 | publisher=Uganda Radio Network |first=Michael |last=Wambi | access-date=24 February 2018 |location=Kampala}} Instead, the Minister of Works proposed to improve port facilities at Jinja and Port Bell and let private operators run railway car floats with greater capacity than the ferries. The minister stated that Kaawa and Pemba would be reconditioned and returned to service and that private businesses had expressed an interest in raising Kabalega and restoring her to use as a private concession. In October 2009, the Ugandan government reiterated that it would recondition the Pamba and Kaawa and return them to service in 2010 and 2011 respectively.{{cite news |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200910300537.html |

title=Uganda: Government to Repair Grounded Ships |

access-date=24 February 2018 |date=29 October 2009 |

newspaper=New Vision |first=Samuel | last=Balagadde |location=Kampala}}{{cite web|date=10 September 2008 |url=https://www.independent.co.ug/ppda-finally-allows-repair-mv-pamba/ |title=PPDA finally allows repair of MV Pamba | last=Kagenda |newspaper=The Independent (Uganda) | first=Patrick |location=Kampala |access-date=2 March 2018}}

In June 2018, the EastAfrican, reported that 900-tonne MV Umoja, registered in Tanzania, began regular service between Mwanza and Port Bell, plying the route 26 times every month. It is also expected that MV Kaawa, registered in Uganda, will join MV Umoja on the route. The Dar es Salaam to Kampala route costs US$65 per tonne, compared to US$90 per tonne on the Mombasa to Kampala route, as of June 2018.{{cite web |newspaper=The EastAfrican | url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Uganda-resumes-cargo-operations-on-Lake-Victoria/2560-4633876-4i2cdq/index.html |title=Uganda resumes cargo operations on Lake Victoria after a decade |access-date=28 June 2018 |date=27 June 2018 |first=Julius |last=Barigaba |location=Nairobi}}{{cite web| url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Tanzania-unveils-cargo-train-to-Uganda/2560-4654108-y39fkaz/index.html | title=Tanzania unveils cargo train to Uganda |access-date=10 July 2018 |date=9 July 2018 |newspaper=The EastAfrican |last=Tairo

|first=Apolinari |location=Nairobi}} The Citizen (Tanzania), reported similar information.{{cite web| url=http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/1840360-4634882-95btqyz/index.html |title=Tanzania's MV Umoja resumes Port Bell-Dar route after 10 years |access-date=28 June 2018 |date=27 June 2018 |newspaper=The Citizen (Tanzania) |location=Dar es Salaam |author=The Citizen Reporter}}

In February 2022, the newly reconditioned MV Pamba was introduced to the public and was commissioned for commercial services, after a period of 17 years' absence.{{cite web| url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/126724/17-years-later-rehabilitated-mv-pamba-resumes |title=17 years later, rehabilitated MV Pamba resumes operations |date=10 February 2022 |work=New Vision |author=Eddie Ssejjoba |access-date=14 February 2022 |location=Kampala, Uganda}}

Until recently, only the {{convert|8|km}} line between Kampala and Port Bell and the {{convert|190|km}} main line from Kampala to the Kenyan border at Tororo remained in use. In October 2010, ThyssenKrupp subsidiary Gleistechnik reportedly was leading a project to link Juba, capital of South Sudan, with Gulu, a town in northern Uganda.{{cite web | url=http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/10/thyssenkrupp-to-head-sudan-uganda-project/ | access-date=9 November 2010 | title=THYSSENKRUPP TO HEAD SUDAN-UGANDA PROJECT | publisher=Railways Africa}} After having been closed for years because of damaged infrastructure, the northern route to Gulu (from Tororo Junction on the main Kampala-Mombasa line) reopened in September 2013, with RVRC as the operator.{{cite news | title=UGANDA'S NORTHERN LINE REOPENED | url=http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2013/09/uganda%E2%80%99s-northern-line-reopened/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004231212/http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2013/09/uganda%E2%80%99s-northern-line-reopened/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 October 2013 | access-date=4 October 2013 | newspaper=Railways Africa | date=24 September 2013}}{{cite news | title=Northern Uganda Railway line opened, expected to serve South Sudan and DRC | url=http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article48083 | access-date=15 November 2013 | newspaper=Sudan Tribune | date=17 September 2013}}

• Kenya - yes - same gauge {{RailGauge|1000mm}}
• Tanzania - no direct connection except via train ferry - same gauge {{RailGauge|1000mm}}
• South Sudan - proposed - break of gauge {{RailGauge|1000mm}}/{{RailGauge|1067mm|lk=on}}
• Rwanda - no
• Congo - no - break of gauge

In February 2015, Rift Valley Railways, in collaboration with KCCA, began testing commuter passenger railway service in Kampala and its suburbs, with a view to establish regular scheduled service beginning in March 2015.{{cite web|title=KCCA Tests Passenger Train | url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/KCCA-tests-passenger-train/-/688334/2613456/-/9nadl0/-/index.html |first=and Farahani Mukisa |last=Paul Tajuba |date=5 February 2015 |location=Kampala

|newspaper=Daily Monitor|access-date=17 March 2018}} Those services were temporarily discontinued after RVR lost its concession in Uganda in October 2017.{{cite web |access-date=17 March 2018 |last=Ngwomwoya |location=Kampala |url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Passenger-train-services-resume-Monday/688334-4316028-5l40lxz/index.html

|title=Passenger train services to resume on Monday |first=Amos

|date=23 February 2018 |newspaper=Daily Monitor}} However, when Uganda Railways Corporation took over the operations of the metre gauge railway system in Uganda in 2018, the service was restored in February that year.{{cite web |url=http://observer.ug/news/headlines/57044-ugandans-welcome-revamped-passenger-train-services.html |access-date=2 March 2018 |title=Kampalans welcome revamped passenger train services |date=27 February 2018 |first=and Mercy Ahukana |newspaper=The Observer (Uganda) |location=Kampala | last=Alfred Ochwo}} Commuters on the service appreciated the ease and reasonable fares of the rail transport, compared to the commuter taxis, with the attendant traffic jams.{{cite web|url=http://www.observer.ug/news/headlines/57205-train-passengers-revel-in-cut-costs-reduced-travel-time.html | title=Train passengers revel in reduced travel time, cut costs |date=15 March 2018 |access-date=17 March 2018 |location=Kampala |newspaper=The Observer (Uganda) |first=Mercy |last=Ahakuna}} A new Kampala to Port Bell route is being planned, to be added in the 2018/2019 financial year.

{{portal|Railways|Trains|Uganda}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

• East African Railway Master Plan
• Kenya Railways Corporation
• Transport in Kenya
• Transport in Uganda
• Uganda Railway
• Uganda Standard Gauge Railway

}}

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Category:Railway companies of Uganda

Category:Railway companies established in 1977

Category:Metre-gauge railways in Uganda