Mukono railway line gets concrete sleepers
Workers assemble concrete sleepers at Imathia Construction site in Kawolo, Lugazi municipality, Buikwe District to be fitted on the Kampala-Mukono railway line (28Kms). PHOTO/PHILIP WAFULA
What you need to know:
The concrete sleepers are being manufactured in Kawolo, Lugazi Municipality in Buikwe District by Spanish firm, Imathia Construction, which says 25,000 concrete sleepers f the 50,000 required to be fitted on the 28km-stretch are ready
Half of the concrete sleepers needed for fitting on the railway line from Kampala to the Inland Container Depot in Kyetume, Mukono District, are ready, the manufacturers have said.
The concrete sleepers are being manufactured in Kawolo, Lugazi Municipality in Buikwe District by Spanish firm, Imathia Construction, which says 25,000 concrete sleepers f the 50,000 required to be fitted on the 28km-stretch are ready.
Mr Roberto Olaiz, the factory director, said they started manufacturing the concrete sleepers in March and are expected to complete in December.
“We have since March to-date made 25,000 concrete sleepers and I am sure we shall hit the target of 50,000 by December,” Mr Olaiz said on Friday.
Mr Esau Kamukama, a factory superintendent at Imathia Construction, says each concrete sleeper weighs 200kgs, making it less susceptible to theft and being sold as scrap.
Part of the 25,000 concrete sleepers ready for fitting on the Kampala-Mukono railway (28Kms) parked at Imathia Construction yard in Kawolo, Lugazi municipality, Buikwe District last Friday. PHOTO/PHILIP WAFULA
“The advantage is that they are cheaper, durable and less prone to vandalism,” Mr Kamukama said.
The old railway line is being replaced with anti-vandal fasteners and concrete sleeper panels in a bid to fight vandals, improve stability and increase speed, according to the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC).
Ms Josephine Aguti, a project engineer at URC, says: “We are targeting more passenger movement along the Kampala-Mukono route, so concrete sleepers are fast and more freight cargo can be accommodated compared to steel sleepers.”
According to Ms Aguti, the difference between the concrete sleepers and steel sleepers is in their weight and ability to carry heavy loads over a speed of over 90kms per hour.
