Ngemuva kokulethwa kwezitimela ezintathu ezintsha sha zakwaGeneral Electric ngasekuqaleni kwale nyanga, kwezingu-20 ezi-odiwe, iRift Valley Railways (RVR) izolo ikuqinisekisile ukuthi isithole isikweletu sika-$20 million ebhange laseNingizimu Afrika kanye neCFC Stanbic. Ibhange lizophothula izinkokhelo zokulethwa kwezitimela ezintsha, zonke okumele ngabe sezingene kulo mkhumbi ngo-Ephreli wonyaka ozayo. I-RVR ngokwayo izofaka u-US$5 wezigidi ezivela emithonjeni yangaphakathi esivumelwaneni sokuthenga esingesokuqala sezitimela ezintsha emashumini eminyaka ngemva kokuba ababekade besebenza izitimela i-Kenya Railways kanye ne-Uganda Railways behlulekile ukwenza isimanjemanje kanye nokuthuthukisa izimpahla ezibalulekile.
Kuhlanganiswe nokulungiswa okuqhubekayo kwezitimela ezindala endaweni yokusebenzela yenkampani eNairobi, izinjini ezintsha ezingama-20 zizophinda kabili izitimela zeRift Valley Railways, zidale umthamo owengeziwe odingeka kakhulu wezitimela phakathi kwechweba lase-Indian Ocean eMombasa, eNairobi, kanye Kampala.
Le nkampani iphinde yaqinisekisa ukuthi ukulungiswa kwezinqola okuqhubekayo kuzophinda kabili inani elitholakalayo elitholakala ezinqoleni ezingaba ngu-2,400 zezinhlobo ezahlukene maphakathi nonyaka ozayo, okuvumela izitimela eziningi ezinemithwalo ephakeme ukuhlangabezana nenani elikhulayo lokungenisa nokuthekelisa emazweni womabili.
Lokhu kuzobeka i-RVR esimeni esibucayi uma kuqhathaniswa nojantshi omusha ohleliwe we-standard gauge okuwumklamo wezigidigidi zamadola aseMelika okuhloswe ngawo ukuxhuma iMombasa, idlule eNairobi naseKampala neKigali. Osolwazi sebephikisana ngokuthi izindleko zikajantshi omusha wesitimela zizobangela ukuthi amanani entengo yempahla abe phezulu kakhulu uma kuqhathaniswa nohlelo lwesitimela esikhona manje nokuthi naphezu kwephesenti eliqinisekisiwe lempahla efika echwebeni laseMombasa, izindleko zingase zibe nkulu kakhulu. kuphezulu futhi kungadingeka ukuthi kuxhaswe iminyaka ezayo.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Pundits are already arguing that the cost of the new rail line will cause cargo tariffs to be too high in comparison with the existing narrow gauge rail system and that in spite of a guaranteed percentage of cargo landed at the Mombasa port, the charges may be too high and might have to be subsidized for years to come.
- After taking delivery of three brand-new General Electric locomotives earlier this month, out of a total of 20 ordered, Rift Valley Railways (RVR) yesterday confirmed that they have secured a US$20 million loan facility from Standard Bank of South Africa and CFC Stanbic Bank to complete payments for the delivery of the new locomotives, all of which are due to have joined the fleet by April next year.
- Combined with the ongoing refurbishment of older locomotives in the company's own workshop in Nairobi, the 20 brand-new engines will double the Rift Valley Railways locomotive fleet, creating much-needed extra capacity for trains between the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa, Nairobi, and Kampala.
