The government of Uganda has embarked on the process to re-introduce train service for city passengers.

Abraham Byandala, Minister of Works and Transport

In an interview, the minister of works and transport engineer Abraham Byandala said government had received a request by rift valley railways to resume the passenger’s service in Kampala.

The rift valley railway is the company that took over the defective Uganda railways. A letter signed by the operations manager passenger service Peter Omoro says they plan to resume by mid August 2011.

Omoro says the passenger train will be operating from Namanve to Kampala railway station daily from 7am to 5pm.

On Wednesday last week the rift valley railway ran train service to Namanve and back to Kampala. The company has revamped five wagons ready to transport passengers.

When asked why there was no train service on the western route, Omoro said they could not have passenger to the west of Kampala because right from Nalukolongo on wards the railway line has been vandalized.

According to Omoro the line needs a lot of money to reinstall which is not immediately available.
By Mugisa Isaac Mathias