CMA CGM Launches SGR Rail Service Linking Mombasa to Nairobi

CMA CGM, the world's third-largest shipping company, has inaugurated a dedicated weekly rail freight service connecting the Port of Mombasa to Nairobi's Embakasi Inland Container Depot using Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network. The service operates 54-wagon trains with a capacity of 108 TEUs, offering importers an alternative to road-based cargo movement and reflecting a broader industry shift toward integrated sea-to-inland logistics solutions. This development represents a strategic expansion by CMA CGM beyond traditional port operations into end-to-end supply chain management across East Africa.

The company partnered with Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Railways Corporation to execute this initiative, signaling strong collaboration between private logistics operators and public infrastructure providers. The move aligns with Kenya's policy goals to reduce road congestion and strengthen the SGR's role in domestic cargo distribution. For supply chain professionals managing imports into Kenya or operating across East Africa, this service creates a new competitive option for containerised goods movement from the coast to inland markets.

However, commercial viability will depend on service reliability, pricing competitiveness relative to road transport, and the availability of profitable return cargo from Nairobi to Mombasa.