Uganda Railways

My wife and I are in Uganda at the moment (9th May 2018), I have been here a number of times before. The national railway system is metre-gauge. I hope this first post is of interest to members of this forum.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/09/uganda-railways-part-1

Other posts about the trip, but not railway related, can be found on this link:

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/category/uganda

 

This second post provides some more information about the history of what is often called 'The Lunatic Line'.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/11/uganda-railways-part-2

 

Do please let us know if you come across anything metallic, large and forgotten rusting quietly in the skeletal remains of a shed @Roger Farnworth

 

Or any Sentinel Waggons....they might have been locos once!

 

This third post in the series starts the journey along the 'Lunatic Line'.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/14/uganda-railways-part-3

 

The 4th post in a series about Uganda Railways. This post covers the journey along the original Uganda Railway from Mazeras to Voi.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/17/uganda-railways-part-4-mazeras-to-voi

 

I have just returned from a trip to Africa, staying in south-western Uganda. This is the 5th part of my story of the Uganda Railway. It covers the length from Voi to Ulu in Kenya.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/uganda-railways-part-5-voi-to-ulu

 

Our journey along the 'Uganda Railway' continues. In this post we travel from Ulu into Nairobi and notice two branch-lines on the way.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/22/uganda-railways-part-6-ulu-to-nairobi

 

This next post focusses on the station at Nairobi and its immediate environment.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/22/uganda-railways-part-7-nairobi-railway-station-good-yard-mpd-and-railway-museum

 

We are gradually getting closer to the eastern border of Uganda! This is the next post in the series and covers the strech of the line from Nairobi to Lake Naivasha .....

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/uganda-railways-part-8-west-of-nairobi-nairobi-to-naivasha

 

Another leg of the journey on the Uganda Railway.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/naivasha_to_nakuru

 

Thanks for doing this Roger, absolutely fascinating. It was a wonderful railway, a real shame it will probably be largely torn up to avoid competition with the SGR.
Hope you are enjoying Uganda, the most beautiful country on earth

 

Hello Andrew, I love Uganda. I only get there every three years or so. I am now back in the UK! Takes some time to settle back in!

Roger

 

The next two posts cover the length of the old Uganda Railway to Kisumu and Butere. Originally, this line was of significant strategic importance. Trains along the line provided access to Lake Victoria and the inland steamers that then provided access to the Great Lakes region and to Kampala via Port Bell.

The construction of the line from Nakuru to Kampala and beyond changed thing significantly and the old main line became a branch-line and has seen little traffic over recent years.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.co...ays-part-10-west-of-nakuru-the-line-to-kisumu

 

Before we return to Nakuru to follow the main line towards Kampala, one further post about the Kisumu line. There was a short branch which left the Kisumu to Nakuru line within the confines of Kisumu city. This post focusses on that line.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.co...ways-part-11-the-branch-from-kisumu-to-butere

 

Back at Nakuru, we prepare ourselves to travel on to Kampala. This post takes us to Eldoret.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/uganda-railways-part-12-nakuru-to-eldoret

 

Eldoret is a junction station. The branch-line service to Kitale set off from Eldoret. We follow its route.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/uganda-railways-part-13-eldoret-to-kitale

 

We really are now almost in Uganda! The is the last post focussing on the Uganda Railway in Kenya. It takes us from Eldoret to the border with Uganda at Malaba.

Sadly, in this post there is little evidence of locomotives. The line has seen little use over the years. I was very fortunate to be able to travel 1st Class all the way from Mombasa to Kampala in 1994. I had no idea at the time how fragile that service was.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/uganda-railways-part-14-eldoret-to-malaba

 

With this post we have crossed the border between Kenya and Uganda. Just across the border in Tororo the mainline divides to give a Kampala/Kasese route via Jinja, and a Pakwach and Aria route via Soroti. The more northerly route through Soroti was perceived as the branch but it has been the route which has been refurbished first (in 2013).

We will follow the branch first.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/uganda-railways-part-15-malaba-to-soroti.

 

Two more posts about the branch-line to Gulu and Arua. The first takes us from Soroti to Gulu.

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/06/03/uganda-railways-part-16-soroti-to-gulu