A new 480-km railway in Kenya constructed by Chinese firms to improve infrastructure as part of the Belt and Road Initiative will officially be launched into service on May 31.

The railway, which connects the port city of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi, is a key infrastructure project that will push forward the East African nation's modernization drive, according to a senior company executive on Monday.

Mombasa terminal /Xinhua Photo

"The launch of the standard gauge railway (SGR) will undoubtedly contribute to Kenya's economic and social development, as well as improving people's livelihoods and leading the country to prosperity," said Chen Yun, Vice President of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

CCCC is a parent company of the China Road and Bridge Corporation, which built the mega-project. The organization is China's largest construction company and is state-owned.

A local worker seen walking on the railway that will be officially put into service on May 31 /Xinhua Photo

The SGR began construction in 2014 with an investment of 3.8 billion US dollars. The project's 90 percent investment was funded by China's Exim Bank. This is believed to be Kenya's biggest infrastructure project since its independence in 1963.

Kenya's existing one meter gauge railway was built by the British government in the 1890s, but due to its age and problems with maintenance, trains had been forced to lower their top speeds to around 40 km/h, thus driving much of Kenya's passenger and freight transportation onto the country's roads.

The SGR (L) and "lunatic line" (R), which was built by British government in the 1890s / Xinhua Photo

The new line, which runs largely in parallel with the Mombasa-Nairobi section of the original one, is thus expected to revitalize the country's railway system and speed up industrialization.

In an interview with Xinhua, Chen said that the company had endeavored to make the Kenya SGR a quality project that will stand the test of time.

Local residents wave to a train embarking on a test run on the new railway /Xinhua Photo

"The Mombasa-Nairobi railway is also a way of cooperation, mutual benefits and prosperity," Chen said.

According to the report, the SGR project has created more than 46,000 jobs for locals, with 45,000 local workers having received training to gain the much-needed skills and technical know-how to help them grow. The Kenyan government estimates that the SGR project will add 1.5 percentage points to Kenya's GDP growth.

An experienced Chinese driver demonstrates how to operate the train. /Xinhua Photo

Train attendants pose for a group photo. The project is also helping to boost employment locally, as 90 percent of the workforce are from Kenya. /Xinhua Photo

As Africa strives for integration, Chen believes that the continent will continue to see the birth of many more railway projects.

He revealed that Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta had said he would promote SGRs in east Africa, thus allowing the region to upgrade and renovate existing railways and enhance its transport capacity.

Chen added that the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient Silk Road trade routes, will also provide immense opportunities for African countries and companies.

(With inputs from Xinhua)

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