“Across the lines
Who would dare to go
Under the bridge
Over the tracks
That separates whites from blacks”

Lyrics by Tracy Chapman.

Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), also Kenya Railways (KR) is the national railway of Kenya. Established in 1977, KR is a state corporation.

The mainline of the KR is based on the original Uganda Railway. Its 930 km (578 mi) main track connected the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to the port of Kisumu at Lake Victoria. Half way is the capital of Nairobi that was founded as a rail depot of the UR. The British added several branch lines as well as a link to Tanzania and a link to Uganda – the total system eventually had 2,778 km (1,726 mi) of track.

As of 2006 much of the overall railway system has been neglected or is in disrepair. Nevertheless the mainline from Mombasa to Kisumu is operative. For passengers, the “Jumbo Kenya Deluxe” connects Nairobi and Mombasa. The fourteen hour overnight trip runs three times a week either eastbound or westbound on the single track. The “Port Florence Express” connects Nairobi with Kisumu.

KR also operates the Kenyan ferry system on Lake Victoria

Although KR has been an economic lifeline, it has been plagued by safety issues. Derailments are common. The maximum speed of trains on the railway is 30 mph/48.3 km/h. Notable accidents include these:

• In 1993, 114 perished in a Mombasa-bound passenger train which plunged into a river after floods washed away a bridge at Ngai Ndethya.
• In 1999, 32 died at Tsavo National Park when brakes on a passenger train failed, making it derail.
• In 2000, 13 died near Kisumu after a passenger train rolled backwards due to failed brakes.
• In 2000, at least 25 were burnt to death after a freight train carrying gas exploded.
• On the morning of October 16, 2005, a matatu (taxi minibus) was struck by a passenger train near Kisumu. Six people died and 23 more were injured.

The KR has suffered from inefficient management, has a bloated work force, and has run deficit operations in spite of its potential.

For several years there had been plans to privatize and revitalize the system.  In 2005, Rift Valley Railways Consortium (RVRC) from South Africa won the concession to run KR and Uganda Railways Corporation. RVRC was to take over operations on August 1, 2006 and intends to stream line operations, reduce the work force, and make major investments to upgrade the system. On July 28, 2006 the East African Standard reported that the planned take-over was postponed to November 1, 2006. This operational take-over took place in November and is scheduled to last for 25 years.

On October 9, 2008, Toll Holdings of Australia announced that it has entered into a contract to manage the Kenya-Uganda railway, replacing the management by Rift Valley Railways Consortium. The consortium has been criticized for falling freight traffic in the two years since taking control, while RVR alleges the drop is due to the poor condition of the railway infrastructure and the damage done by protesters during the 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis. Officers from Toll subsidiary Patrick Defence Logistics were to manage the railway after the transition^.

Towards the end of 2008, after just a few months in charge, Toll pulled out of its management obligations after disagreements with the owners and the Toll appointed MD resigned, mirroring a similar reversal of appetite that occurred when Toll took over the New Zealand railway in 2003^.

Photo: Young women walk along a railway line in Matunda, Eldoret North constituency.