THE UGANDA RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2776, 20 May 1916, Page 3

THE UGANDA RAILWAY

Topical interest attaches to railway matters in East Africa at the present momonc, and tho report of tho Uganda Railway for tho financial year ended March 31, 1915, will be scanned with a good deal of eagerness (says the "South African Railways • and Harbours Magazine"). Jt is dated from Nairobi, on .October 28 last, but it covers only oight months of the war period—August, 1914, to March, 1915. Naturally =• groat deal had to be left out of the report which would have been included in normal times. THE WAP, AND TRAFFIC. The report states that up to the do. elaration of war there was a daily pas- ' senger service between Mombasa and Nakuru, but since then the service baa reverted to a former arrangement of three passenger trains each way weekly over the whole line. Regarding goods traffic, it is stated that "the goods service at the commencement of.' the war suffered a certain amount of difh location. Owing to the dangerous proximity to tho German border, it was considered necessary to centralise all rolling stock at .various points 011 the lino, and also to do the samo with the steamers on Lake Victoria. A partial'stoppage of traffic resulted from these oporations, but after the requirements of the military authorities had been, complied with the traffic resumed more 01 less normal conditions, and, beyond the original steppage of traffic, and at timos certain unavoidable delays, thero has not been any very serious inters feronco with the public requirements. For a. country that is in a state of war, tho ability of tho railway to meet and fulfil the wants .of tho. public »atfst bo considered most satisfactory.-' With reference to the assistance rendered by the railway and its stall' to tho military authorities, tho report says: ' "Ilio dangerous proximity of tho railway to the enemy's border, and tho small number of troops in the country, made it nccossary for power and roiling stock to bo always available at different centres to movo troops, horses, stores, etc., at any timo and between any points on the railway or tho lake. This movement extended also to tho Magada railway, which was then under construction over its entire length, With such distances as have to be covered in this country, and with the moderate speed of our trains, tho movements of tho military necessitated verj strenuous working. The lake steamers ,vero taken over, armed, and used for patrol work around Lake Victoria, also for transporting troops, porters, etc. Of tho live- steamers . and four tuga forming the flotilla, wo had practically only two. steamers left "'under'our control for ordinary traffic; on a few occasions we had only one. Our workshops at Nairobi and Kilindini were -utilised for the requirements, of tho military authorities, and the dockyard at Kisiimn was placed at their disposal. Tho work -carried out at these various places was of a heavy and very varied nature, and ranged from llio construe, tion of armoured and hospital trains, gun fittings and pedestals, shells, sad, dlcry, hospital appliances, and general engineering work down ■to regimental badges and buttons; On the lake the -steamers bad to be armoured- and-fitted to carry guns. All. this, .work had to Jbo'dono with "what"material-.was. avail; able, often insufficient, as. the'ro' wero not any large''quantities of material in stock, our balance of stores in hand having been brought out with the view of our own requirements only. With tho arrival of additional troops in thq country and stress of work greatly in. creased, and the constant' and immedi, ate wants of the military were a very heavy demand upon our resources. In. eluded in those demands, from a traffio point of view, was the transport of cat, I tie, mules, horses, sheep, etc., to the extent of some 5000 wagon loads, and j the transport of many thousands of I porters and carriers."