The Uganda Railways Corporation is not about to deploy electric trains, at least shortly, amidst demands for a “more modern railway system” for the country.
The government, through its URC, is intensifying efforts to restore the railway network and recently completed the Kampala-Mukono line, a Meter Gauge Railway (MGR), largely doing passenger services.
There are, however, plans to introduce cargo services in the short term, according to URC, with other projects ongoing on the Tororo-Gulu through Mbale, Kumi, Soroti, and Lira before terminating at the Gulu Logistics Hub.
Plans are in high gear for the commencement of the physical works on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line between Kampala and Malaba, with later plans to extend it to the borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and South Sudan.
Unlike the SGR project, all the MGR lines are planned for diesel-powered trains, with the procurement process already on for Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs), according to URC.
DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines, requiring no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages.
There have been questions as to why the government should continue deploying fossil fuel-powered engines instead of electric ones when Uganda now can generate electricity twice more than what is currently demanded.
“For the improvements we are doing on the MGR network, specifically for the passenger service component, there will not be electrification, at least for now. Electrification will be purely on the SGR,” says John Lennon Sengendo, Senior Public Relations and Communications Officer at URC. In justifying this, Sengendo says DMUs offer a good experience in terms of comfort and speed.
“They are modern rolling stock and are used in many countries, including the developed where electrification hasn’t been done”.
According to him, in passenger experience, the two systems are the same.
“There is no comparison with electric trains. DMUs and Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) are the same. The only difference is that one is electric and the other is Diesel,” he says, adding that the DMUs to be deployed will be able to move at speeds of 120 kilometres per hour, “which is relatively good.”
On why then, URC has chosen DMUs, at least for now, it says electricity availability is not the only factor, but the cost of building the system, too.
“A lot of work and money goes into the installation of the infrastructure, which may not make sense to do on the MGR, yet the government is constructing an SGR, which will be electric,” he explains.
Drawing from the Kenya experience, Sengendo says the neighbouring country’s system is doing well with the DMUs giving speeds of up to 120 kmph.
URC welcomes the complaints and concerns from the public, saying they have got more ideas on the specifications for the ordered DMUs. “We have picked on feedback and guidance from Ugandans on how to design these DMUs to provide comfort and a good experience. The manufacturer will produce exactly as per our specifications,” he adds.
But with Kenya’s SGR being diesel-powered, it gives a challenge to the smooth operation of the railway which is supposed to run seamlessly from Mombasa to Kampala.
But hopes are that by the time of the completion of Uganda’s SGR, the two countries will have agreed on the best position, to achieve the main goal, including considering the use of “hybrid rolling stock just in case Kenya doesn’t electrify.”
Dozens of countries continue to use DMUs, including the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan, Croatia, Belgium, Germany and Russia.
Recent improvements include the diesel-hydraulic engines which allow for alternation during operation between diesel and hydraulic power, leading to lower emission, lower noise and lower diesel consumption.
Apart from being cheaper to build the rail, experts say, DMUs can run on electrified tracks, making them more flexible, while electric trains can only use electrified rails.
However, in the long-term, usually after 30 years, electrified railway systems become overall cheaper as the overhead costs are usually lower, depending on the cost of electricity in the country.