The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) generated revenues totaling Ksh 12.7 billion last year which was 4pc higher than Ksh 12.2 billion the railway line earned in 2021.
The increase in cargo haulage was due to the increase in cargo volume transported via the new line which rose from 5,407,000 tonnes in 2021 to 6,090,000 last year, a 12.6pc rise.
According to the Economic Survey Report 2023 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the increase is despite container traffic through the Port of Mombasa reducing 1.9pc, from 34,661,000 to 33,880,000 tonnes last year which is attributed to a decline in import of dry bulk cargo.
On the other line, five year old railways line also registered an increase in passenger traffic which rose 20pc last year.
During the period under review, SGR ferried 2.4 million passengers compared to 1.99 million ferried in 2021.
“The increase in passenger numbers resulted in a 19.6pc rise in revenue generated to Ksh 2.6 billion in 2022 from Ksh 2.2 billion in 2021,” said KNBS in the Economic Survey Report 2023.
SGR registered a decline in revenue per tonne per kilometer which reduced from ksh 4.80 to Ksh 4.48 same as revenue per passenger per kilometer which reduced from Ksh 2.39 to Ksh 2.38.
Nonetheless, despite billions invested in the old Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) to refurbish the track, it continues to see a drop in passenger numbers.
The number of passengers who travelled via the railway dropped 23.7pc to just 3.4 million last year from 4.5 million which KNBS says was mainly attributed to a decline in the number of passengers using Nairobi Commuter Railway (NCR).
“Consequently, passenger revenue from MGR decreased by 20.9pc from Ksh 234 million in 2021 to Ksh 185 million in 2022.
