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In many rural areas in Uganda, where the old meter gauge railway line passes, some people graze their animals, while others seek farming land.

However, Works and transport minister Gen. Katumba Wamala has cautioned the public against using land within the railway lines for any other purposes.

Wamala says some people disguise themselves as grazing animals when their intention is to vandalise and steal the railway line equipment.

The minister sounded the warning in Parliament on Thursday, September 7, 2023.

Katumba Wamala was responding to a question from Eric Mutiwa (Bunyole West) about people being arrested and their animals held because of being within the railway lines in Butaleja district.

The minister promised that any person who was arrested would be investigated. He explained that there is no grazing land, grass, or farmland along the railway. 

He added that the Government has decided to rehabilitate and revamp the railway infrastructure and so encroachers are being removed along existing lines. The old lines are to be replaced with railway concrete sleepers to improve passenger and cargo transport in the country. 

Sleepers factory commissioned

President Yoweri Museveni on Friday launched the railway sleeper-making factory in Kawolo, Buikwe district.

The sleepers are to be used in the rehabilitation of the metre gauge railway line.

Speaking to New Vision Online on Friday, Works Ministry spokesperson Susan Kataike said the concrete sleepers will replace the steel sleepers because they (steel) are prone to vandalism.

To test their efficiency, the sleepers are expected to be first used in the construction of the Kampala Mukono Railway line before being rolled out to other projects.

The construction of the factory valued at over Euros 19 million (about shillings 76 billion) kicked off on June 29, 2020.

Railway expansion, rehabilitation drive

In March this year, the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) said its new expansion drive to rehabilitate railway routes in the Kampala metropolitan would add more than 300 city passengers on a daily basis. 

While speaking at the launch of a pilot project dubbed: Tutambule Ffena, which is aimed at offering passengers a faster travel experience, URC chief commercial officer Jessica Bakabazira said the expansion plan was meant to extend passenger services to Mukono, Kyengera, and Port Bell areas. 

“This will involve the construction of concrete sleeper lines to those areas and procurement of diesel multiple units. We shall also have more coaches procured to serve these areas,” she said.

Bakabazira said the first phase of constructing and renovating the new routes would commence in April, starting with the Kampala-Mukono line, during which passenger service will be transferred to the Kampala-Port Bell route. 

Secured funding

In August 2020, URC said the Government had secured funding from the Spanish government and African Development Bank (AfDB) to the tune of shillings 1.3 trillion to revamp the Metre Gauge Railway by rehabilitating about 250 kilometres from Malaba to Kampala.

The funding, particularly from AfDB, will involve refurbishing the Namanve-Tororo, Port Bell line, Jinja Pier, and Kampala-Kyengera railway line.

This would also include the construction of passenger halts and hubs and railway reserve fencing. 

The transport ministry last year said the construction of a factory for manufacturing concrete sleepers for refurbishment works on the Mukono-Kampala railway line (25km) had commenced. 

This is being undertaken by Imathia, a Spanish company that was awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the railway line, according to the transport ministry.