Rail Transport Regulations

Rail transport in East Africa is currently ratified by the East Africa Community (EAC) Treaty Article 91 under the heading.

• Article 91     Railways and Rail transport. 

1. The Partner State agree to establish and maintain coordinated railway services that would efficiently connect the partner states within the community and, where necessary, to construct additional railway connections.
2. Partner states shall, in particular;
   • Adopt common policies for the development of railway transport in the community.
   • Make railways more efficient and competitive through, inter alia, autonomous management and improvement of the infrastructure.
   • Adopt common safety rules, regulations and requirements with regard to sign, signals, rolling stock, motive power and related equipment and the transport of dangerous substances;
   • Adoption measures for the facilitation, harmonisation and rationalisation of rail transport within the community;
   • Harmonise and simplify documents required for railway transport within the community;

Article 91     Railways and Rail transport

• Harmonise procedures with the respect to the packaging, marking and loading of goods and wagons for railway transport within the community;
• Agree to charge non-discriminatory tariffs in respect of goods transported by rail within the community;
• Consult each other on proposed measures that may affect rail transportation within the community;
• Integrate the operations of their railway administrations including the synchronisation of train schedules and the operations of unit trains;
• Establish common standards for the construction and maintenance of rail facilities;
• Agree on common policies for the manufacture railway transport equipment and railway facilities;
• Agree to allocate space for storage of goods transported by rail from other within their goods sheds;
• Take measure to facilitate thorough working of trains within the community;

Article 91     Railways and Rail transport

• Facilitate the deployment of railway rolling stock, motivate power and related equipment for the conveyance of goods to and from each other without discrimination;
• Endeavour to maintain the existing physical facilities of their railways to such standards as will enable the partner states to operate their own systems within the community in an efficient manner;
• Provide efficient railway transport services among the partner states on a non-discriminatory basis;
• Facilitate joint utilisation of railway facilities including manufacture, maintenance and training facilities to ensure their optimal use; and
• Promote cooperation in the fields of research and exchange of information.