Kenya plans to extend its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Lamu to Ethiopia, with a future connection to South Sudan, as part of the LAPSSET Corridor project. The railway is expected to connect markets serving about 50 to 60 million people, improving regional trade, and strengthening transport links across East Africa.
Once completed, the full railway network is expected to span about 2,900 kilometres, making it easier to move goods and people while supporting economic growth and regional integration.
This ambitious plan was announced by the Principal Secretary in the State Department of Transport – Mohamed Daghar during the 62nd graduation ceremony of the Railway Training Institute held in Nairobi.
According to Daghar, this initiative is part of the broader Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Program, which stands as Eastern Africa’s largest infrastructure initiative and a core pillar of Kenya Vision 2030, that aims to link Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan while boosting GDP by 2% to 3%.
This railway expansion connects directly into the LAPSSET Corridor framework and serves as the backbone connecting Kenya’s second major port (Lamu) to landlocked neighbours. The railway route is conceptualised to pass through critical logistical hubs in northern Kenya, linking Isiolo to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Juba (South Sudan).
Currently, the port at Lamu has three operational berths. The railway itself remains highly dependent on finalising cross-border coordination, land acquisition and multi-billion-dollar financing.
Strategic Importance
The LAPSSET Railway Project represents a cornerstone of East Africa’s transportation infrastructure development strategy, which aligns with both national development plans and regional integration goals.
Considering the railway connection, the project will serve as an economic lifeline for the region, opening-up previously isolated areas to development and providing a critical alternative to the congested Northern Corridor.
For South Sudan and Ethiopia, the railway is offering a strategic alternative access to the sea, by reducing dependence on existing routes and strengthening regional resilience.
The project directly contributes to multiple African Union Agenda 2063 aspirations, which particularly regarding the regional integration, infrastructure development and inclusive economic growth.
Kenya 🇰🇪 plans to extend its Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Lamu to Ethiopia 🇪🇹, with a future connection to South Sudan 🇸🇸 as part of the LAPSSET Corridor project.
The railway is expected to connect markets serving about 50 to 60 million people, improve regional trade, and… pic.twitter.com/RPLCZ1WJWo
— Africa View Facts (@AfricaViewFacts) July 12, 2026
Technology & Design
The project will hire standard gauge railway technology with modern signalling and control systems. Design standards will be harmonised across the three countries to ensure inter-operability and efficiency.
Key design elements include electrification potential (initially diesel with provision for future electrification), advanced train control and communications systems, climate-resilient infrastructure elements, and intermodal terminals at key locations.
Development Timeline
As per the scheduled development timeline, the project began in January 2012 and is expected to get completed by December 2043. This mega-project’s feasibility completed in 2022 along with detailed design between 2023-2025.
For Kenyan segment; the financing began in 2025 that will go until 2027, the construction will begin in 2027 and is expected to last till 2032.
Ethiopian segment; pre-feasibility completed between 2022 to 2024, feasibility began in 2024 and is still being observed in 2026. The detailed design will be observed from 2026 to 2028. Further the financing will be observed from 2028 to 2030 and construction phase will be covered between the years 2030 to 2038.
South-Sudan segment; needed assessment from 2022 to 2025, pre-feasibility began in 2025 and will run till 2027, feasibility will begin in 2027 and will be observed until 2029. Detailed designing will be covered from 2029 to 2031 along with financing from 2031 to 2033, and construction will cover a span of ten years from 2033 to 2043.