Transport in Uganda
Encyclopedia

Railways

Total:
1,241 km

metre gauge
Metre gauge
Metre gauge refers to narrow gauge railways and tramways with a track gauge of . In some African, American and Asian countries it is the main gauge. In Europe it has been used for local railways in France, Germany, and Belgium, most of which were closed down in mid 20th century. Only in Switzerland...

:

1,241 km gauge

note:
A program to rehabilitate the railway started in (1995), however much of the railway is inoperative.

Railway links with adjacent countries, as of 9 July 2011 references to southern Sudan reflect the new nation of South Sudan

Kenya
Transport in Kenya
Transport in Kenya compares well with other East African countries. Kenya has an extensive network of paved and unpaved roads. Its railway system links the nation's ports and major cities and connects Kenya with neighbouring Uganda...

 - yes - same gauge Transport in South Sudan
Transport in South Sudan
- Highways :Highways in South Sudan are almost entirely unpaved. The country's capital, Juba, does not have paved road connections with any adjacent country.- Pipelines :...

 - proposed - break of gauge / Democratic Republic of Congo
Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ground transport in the Democratic Republic of Congo has always been difficult. The terrain and climate of the Congo Basin present serious barriers to road and rail construction, and the distances are enormous across this vast country...

 - no - break of gauge / Rwanda
Transport in Rwanda
The transport system in Rwanda centres primarily around the road network, with paved roads between the capital, Kigali and most other major cities and towns in the country...

 - no railways yet Tanzania
Transport in Tanzania
Transport in Tanzania is mainly by road, supplemented by rail. Tanzania's road network, is of limited quality and not many roads are tarmacked. Dirt roads become impassable during the rainy season and can remain impassable for days, or, more often, weeks. The only reliable surface connection from...

 - no direct connection except via train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...

 - same gauge

Couplings and brakes

  • couplings
    Coupling (railway)
    A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...

     : meatchopper (Norwegian)
  • Brakes : Air

2008

  • Kenya and Uganda have agreed to build new railways at gauge. This decision seems not to mention variable gauge axles
    Variable gauge axles
    A variable gauge system allows railway vehicles in a train to travel across a break of gauge caused by two railway networks with differing track gauges....

     which would make gauge change much more easy.

June 2008 Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

 to buy a new train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...

 for Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....

 for about $9m.

2007

  • September 2007 - Uganda to get 4 new railway lines. A vast network of additional railway lines within East Africa and others linking the region to neighbouring Ethiopia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo is on the cards. Four new lines connecting to South Sudan, DRC and Tanzania. These are Kasese
    Kasese
    Kasese is a town in Western Uganda, lying north of Lake George. It originally grew around the copper mine at Kilembe, while attention later turned to cobalt mining. It is the 'chief town' of Kasese District and the district headquarters are located there...

    -Kisangani
    Kisangani
    Kisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....

    , Gulu
    Gulu
    Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...

    -Nimule
    Nimule
    Nimule is a town in South Sudan, immediately north of the International border with Uganda.-Location:Nimule is located in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan, adjacent to the border with the Republic of Uganda. This location lies approximately , by road, southeast of Juba, the...

    -Juba
    Juba, Sudan
    Juba is the capital and largest city of the Republic of South Sudan. It also serves as the capital of Central Equatoria, the smallest of the ten states of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and functions as the seat and metropolis of Juba County.- Population :In 2005, Juba's...

    , Masaka
    Masaka
    Masaka is a town in Central Uganda, lying west of Lake Victoria. It is the chief town of Masaka District. Besides being the headquarters of Masaka District, the town is the regional headquarters and largest metropolitan area in Lyantonde District, Sembabule District, Lwengo District, Bukomansimbi...

    -Biharamulo
    Biharamulo
    Biharamulo is one of the six districts of the Kagera Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by the Muleba District, to the south by the Shinyanga Region, to the east by Lake Victoria and the Mwanza Region, to the west by the Ngara District, and to the southwest by the Kigoma...

     and Pakwach
    Pakwach
    - Location :Pakwach is located in Nebbi District, in West Nile sub-region, in Northern Uganda. It is situated approximately , by road, southeast of Arua, the largest town in West Nile. This location lies along the western bank of the Albert Nile, approximately , by road, southwest of Gulu, the...

    -Juba
    Juba, Sudan
    Juba is the capital and largest city of the Republic of South Sudan. It also serves as the capital of Central Equatoria, the smallest of the ten states of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and functions as the seat and metropolis of Juba County.- Population :In 2005, Juba's...

    -Wau
    Wau, Sudan
    Wau is a city in South Sudan.-Location:It lies on the western bank of the Jur River, in Wau County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, in northwestern South Sudan. Its location lies approximately , northwest of Juba, the capital and largest city in that country...

    . Tanzania would be the main beneficiary of the new railway lines should the ambitious project materialise. Besides the Isaka-Kigali line, eight other new railway lines have been proposed within the country, linking Tanzania with other states. These are Liganga
    Liganga
    Liganga is a site in Tanzania where iron ore is mined. It is also rich in both vanadium and titanium.The deposits are near Lake Malawi in the south of the country.- See also :* Railway stations in Tanzania - proposed*...

    -Mchuchuma
    Mchuchuma
    Mchuchuma in south western Tanzania near the northern tip of Lake Nyasa, is the site of major coal deposits. There is also a thermal power station costing$612m....

    , Mchuchuma
    Mchuchuma
    Mchuchuma in south western Tanzania near the northern tip of Lake Nyasa, is the site of major coal deposits. There is also a thermal power station costing$612m....

    -Mbamba Bay
    Mbamba Bay
    Mbamba Bay is a town in western Tanzania, lying on the eastern shore of Lake Malawi. Elevation 471m.- Port :Mbamba Bay has an indentation in the otherwise straight profile of the lake and may be a potential port.- Transport :...

    , Liganga
    Liganga
    Liganga is a site in Tanzania where iron ore is mined. It is also rich in both vanadium and titanium.The deposits are near Lake Malawi in the south of the country.- See also :* Railway stations in Tanzania - proposed*...

    -Mlimba
    Mlimba
    - Transport :Mlimba is served by a station on the Tanzania Railways Corporation. At the station the line leaves the plains and enters mountainous territory.A proposed railway junctions off at this station according to Railway Gazette International....

    , Dar es Salaam
    Dar es Salaam
    Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...

    - Mtwara, Biharamulo
    Biharamulo
    Biharamulo is one of the six districts of the Kagera Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the north by the Muleba District, to the south by the Shinyanga Region, to the east by Lake Victoria and the Mwanza Region, to the west by the Ngara District, and to the southwest by the Kigoma...

    -Masaka
    Masaka
    Masaka is a town in Central Uganda, lying west of Lake Victoria. It is the chief town of Masaka District. Besides being the headquarters of Masaka District, the town is the regional headquarters and largest metropolitan area in Lyantonde District, Sembabule District, Lwengo District, Bukomansimbi...

     (via Bukoba
    Bukoba
    Bukoba is a town in northwest Tanzania on the western shore of Lake Victoria. It is the capital of the Kagera region. Population estimate: 100,000...

    ), Tunduma
    Tunduma
    Tunduma is a Tanzanian border town in Mbeya Region with border posts for both the Tanzam Highway and the TAZARA railway linking the two countries. It is...

    -Kigoma
    Kigoma
    Kigoma is a town and lake port in western Tanzania, on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika and close to the border with Burundi. It serves as the capital for the surrounding Kigoma Region and has a population of 135,234 and an elevation of 775 m.The historic trading town of Ujiji is 6 km...

     (through Sumbawanga
    Sumbawanga
    Sumbawanga is a city located in western Tanzania. It is the capital of Rukwa Region. The regional population is approximately 150,000 based on a 2002 census.Many people living in Sumbawanga are Fipa, called so for the native language also spoken there...

     and Mpanda
    Mpanda
    Mpanda is one of the 4 districts of the Rukwa Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the Northwest by the Kigoma Region, to the Northeast by the Tabora Region, to the East by the Mbeya Region, to the Southeast by the Sumbawanga Urban District, to the Southwest by the Nkansi District and to the West...

    ), Uvinza
    Uvinza
    Uvinza is a town in western Tanzania in the highlands. Elevation 996m.- History :During the German colonial period the town was named Neu Gottorp and a railyway line was built in the 1900s linking it to Dar es Salaam....

    -Bujumbura
    Bujumbura
    -Education:The University of Burundi is located in Bujumbura.Hope Africa University is located in BujumburaUniversité du Lac Tanganyika is located in Bujumbura-External links:**...

     and Bagamoyo
    Bagamoyo
    The town of Bagamoyo, Tanzania, was founded at the end of the 18th century. It was the original capital of German East Africa and was one of the most important trading ports along the East African coast...

    -Kidomole
    Kidomole
    Kidomole is a town in southern Tanzania, lying on the coastal plain. Rusako is a township nearby.- Transport :Kidomole has a station on the Tanzanian Railways. In October 2007, it was proposed to build a branch railway from Bagamoyo on the coast to this station. - External links :*...

    .

  • On 6 September, further talks took place at State House, Kampala, between Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni
    Yoweri Museveni
    Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...

     and engineers from Germany concerning the new standard gauge
    Standard gauge
    The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

     railway they propose linking South Sudan
    South Sudan
    South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...

    's railhead at Wåw to Uganda and Kenya. Klaus Thormahlen, managing director of Thormahlen Holdings International and Jens Flachsbarth, managing director of the Ingeno Group, presented details of the scheme envisaged. Ugandan minister for works John Nasasira
    John Nasasira
    John Nasasira is a Ugandan engineer and politician. He is the current Government Chief Whip in the Ugandan Cabinet. He was appointed to that position on 27 May 2011. He replaced Daudi Migereko, who was appointed Minister of Lands & Urban Development. Prior to that, he served as the Minister of...

     attended the meeting, as well as NEPAD Kenya Secretariat chief executive Grace Ongile, and principal economist Abdulrahman Ismail.
  • Proposed link to Uganda west of Lake Victoria

  • March 2007 - proposed Inland port
    Inland port
    The term inland port is used in two different but related ways to mean either a port on an inland waterway or an inland site carrying out some functions of a seaport.- As a port on an inland waterway :...

     at Tororo
    Tororo
    Tororo is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative and commercial center of Tororo District. The district was named after the town.-Location:...

    .

2006

  • A proposal surface link to South Sudan
    South Sudan
    South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...

     via Uganda to the port of Mombasa
    Mombasa
    Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....

     in Kenya
    Kenya
    Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

     -. This line would be financed by China, and extend from Pakwach
    Pakwach
    - Location :Pakwach is located in Nebbi District, in West Nile sub-region, in Northern Uganda. It is situated approximately , by road, southeast of Arua, the largest town in West Nile. This location lies along the western bank of the Albert Nile, approximately , by road, southwest of Gulu, the...

     to Juba, South Sudan.
  • Rift Valley Railways Consortium
    Rift Valley Railways Consortium
    The Rift Valley Railways Consortium is a consortium that was established to manage the parastatal railways of Kenya and Uganda. The consortium won the bid for private management of the century-old Kenya-Uganda railway in 2005.-History:...

     to take over management in 2006.

Highways

Total:
27,000 km

paved:
1,800 km

unpaved:
25,200 km (of which about 4,800 km are all-weather roads) (1990 est.)

International highways

The Lagos-Mombasa Highway
Lagos-Mombasa Highway
The Lagos-Mombasa Highway is Trans-African Highway 8 and is principal road route between West and East Africa...

, part of the Trans-African Highway network
Trans-African Highway network
The Trans-African Highway network comprises transcontinental road projects in Africa being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa , the African Development Bank , and the African Union in conjunction with regional international communities...

 and aiming to link East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

 and West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...

, passes through Uganda. This is complete only eastwards from the Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

–DR Congo border to Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....

, linking the African Great Lakes
African Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes and the Rift Valley lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift on the continent of Africa...

 region to the sea. It is commonly called the 'Trans-Africa Highway' in Uganda but cannot be used to reach West Africa because the route westwards across DR Congo to Bangui
Bangui
-Law and government:Bangui is an autonomous commune of the Central African Republic. With an area of 67 km², it is by far the smallest high-level administrative division of the CAR in area but the highest in population...

 in the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...

 (CAR) is impassable after the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...

 and requires reconstruction. An alternative route (not part of the Trans-African network) to Bangui based on gravel roads and earth roads runs from Gulu
Gulu
Gulu is a city in Northern Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The city is located at 2˚46'48N 32˚18'00E, on the metre gauge railway from Tororo to Pakwach. Gulu is located approximately , by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city...

 in northern Uganda via Nimule
Nimule
Nimule is a town in South Sudan, immediately north of the International border with Uganda.-Location:Nimule is located in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan, adjacent to the border with the Republic of Uganda. This location lies approximately , by road, southeast of Juba, the...

 and Juba, South Sudan and Obo
Obo
Obo is the capital of Haut-Mbomou, one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. According to data used within Google Earth, the population is 12,787. It is close to the African Pole of Inaccessibility....

 in south-east CAR. This is used by trucks but sections are impassable after rain. The route has been closed at times during war and conflict in northern Uganda (the Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...

 rebellion) and South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...

, but up to July 2007 had not been affected by the Darfur conflict
Darfur conflict
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...

 and was the only usable road between East and West Africa. The security situation should be checked with authorities in northern Uganda, South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...

 and south-eastern CAR before use.

Waterways

Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....

 is the principal waterway with commercial traffic. In conjunction with train services, the railway companies of Uganda and Tanzania operate train ferries
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...

 on the lake between railhead ports of the two countries and Kenya. These ferries load rail coaches and wagons
Goods wagon
Goods wagons are railway wagons that are used for the transportation of goods .- Development :At the beginning of the railway era, the vast majority of goods wagons were four-wheeled vehicles of simple construction. These were almost exclusively small covered wagons, open wagons with side-boards,...

. The safety record has been poor in recent years. Jinja
Jinja, Uganda
Jinja is the largest town in Uganda, Africa. It is the second busiest commercial center in the country, after Kampala, Uganda's capital and only city. Jinja was established in 1907.-Location:...

 and Port Bell
Port Bell
Port Bell is a small industrial centre in the greater metropolitan Kampala area, in Uganda. Port Bell has a rail link and a rail/road ferry wharf used for International traffic across Lake Victoria to Tanzania and Kenya.-Location:...

 (on a 7 km branch line from Kampala) are the railhead
Railhead
The word railhead is a railway term with two distinct meanings, depending upon its context.Sometimes, particularly in the context of modern freight terminals, the word is used to denote a terminus of a railway line, especially if the line is not yet finished, or if the terminus interfaces with...

s for Uganda, connecting to Mwanza
Mwanza
Mwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With an urban population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of 2 million, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam and ahead of other major Tanzanian cities of Arusha,...

, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

 and Kisumu
Kisumu
Kisumu is a port city in western Kenya at , with a population of 355,024 . It is the third largest city in Kenya, the principal city of western Kenya, the immediate former capital of Nyanza Province and the headquarters of Kisumu County. It has a municipal charter but no city charter...

, Kenya.

The Port Bell ferry wharf is visible on high-resolution Google Earth photos at latitude 0.2885° longitude 32.653°. A ferry is shown loading truck and rail coaches while another waits.

Other ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 serve non-railhead ports on the lake.

Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja. Another source of water...

 and the Victoria Nile south of the lake constitute the second most important commercial waterway. There used to be a steamboat service between Namasagali
Namasagali
Namasagali is a town in Eastern Uganda. It is one of the metropolitan areas in Kamuli District.-Location:The town is located in the northwestern part of Kamuli District, along the eastern bank of the Victoria Nile, approximately , by road, northwest of Kamuli, where the district headquarters are...

, a railhead port on the Nile, going as far as Masindi-Port on the other side of Lake Kyoga.

Other waterways such as Lake Albert, Lake George
Lake George (Uganda)
Lake George or Lake Dweru is a lake in Uganda. It covers a total surface area of 250 km² and is a part of Africa's Great Lakes system but is not itself considered one of the Great Lakes. Like the other lakes in the region it was named after a member of the British royal family, in this case...

, Lake Edward
Lake Edward
Lake Edward or Edward Nyanza is the smallest of the African Great Lakes. It is located in the western Great Rift Valley, on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with its northern shore a few kilometres south of the Equator...

, and the Albert Nile do not carry commercial traffic to any great extent.

Merchant marine

total:
3 ships ( or over) totaling /

ships by type:
roll-on/roll-off 3 (1999 est.)

Airports

Main International Airport: Entebbe International Airport
Entebbe International Airport
Entebbe International Airport is the principal international airport of Uganda.-Location:It is located near the town of Entebbe, on the shores of Lake Victoria, and about from the capital, Kampala...


Soroti Flying School Airport

26 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total:
4

over 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total:
22

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
6

914 to 1,523 m:
8

under 914 m:
7 (1999 est.)
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