Six locomotives that arrived at the port of Mombasa from China on Monday are expected to be received by the government of Kenya this morning. Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development James Macharia is expected to receive the cargo on behalf of the government during a ceremony at Mombasa Port's Port Reitz Station, which is the starting point of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) of Mombasa-Nairobi line, built by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).

Four of the machines are freight locomotives compatible with the Chinese railway system, with the locomotive power of 3,100 KW and a maximum speed of 100 km/h.

Once the SGR is operational, these locomotives will become the main force serving the freight transportation needs of the entire railway, which runs from Mombasa in the east to Nairobi, Kenya. Two shunting locomotives with 1,550 KW of power are also expected, which will be used for marshalling and dispatching locomotives and rolling stocks within stations.

According to the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor CRBC, there will be a total of 56 locomotives manufactured by CRRC Corporation. The next critical segment of the project, said Li Qiang, general manager of CRBC EAC Head Office, involves the construction of high-quality stations, signaling, communication and electricity, to ensure the SGR line can contribute to Kenya's socio-economic development and prosperity.