Passenger rail service between Kampala and Jinja is set to return before the end of 2026, with the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) preparing to launch a weekend service on the eastern route, more than three decades after regular passenger trains last served the corridor.
URC says preparations for the revival are in their final stages, ending a long wait for passengers who have largely relied on road transport between the two cities.
The corporation said the initial service will run on weekends, with trains departing Kampala on Fridays and returning from Jinja on Sundays.
"We have been cooking on all fronts to extend our services wide and far," URC said in a statement.
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"Preparations for the train to Jinja are in the final phase. We have heard the calls, and as listening sector players, it is incumbent upon us to respond to the calls."
The service is expected to provide an alternative to road transport on the busy Kampala-Jinja corridor, which also carries traffic to eastern Uganda and neighbouring countries.
URC said the revival is not a long-term plan but something it expects to implement this year.
"We are not talking years to come. This is happening this year 2026," the corporation said.
The initial weekend schedule is expected to be expanded as URC acquires additional rolling stock, with the corporation targeting a daily passenger train service between Kampala and Jinja.
"After the acquisition of more rolling stock, a process that is ongoing, the trips to and from Jinja will increase. The target is to have a daily scheduled train crossing the Nile."
The return of passenger trains to Jinja would restore a service that has been absent from the route since the 1990s.
Regular passenger operations between Kampala and Jinja were discontinued as Uganda's railway system went through years of operational and infrastructure challenges.
The eastern corridor subsequently became predominantly a freight route, while road transport took on a larger share of passenger movement between Kampala and Jinja.
Uganda Railways later revived passenger services on shorter commuter routes around Kampala. Services introduced in 2015 initially linked Kampala with Namanve and were later extended towards Mukono, but the Kampala-Jinja route remained without a regular passenger service.
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The planned Jinja service would therefore extend passenger rail operations beyond the existing Kampala commuter network and restore a connection that has been missing for more than 30 years.
The route also has historical significance because the railway crosses the Nile at Jinja, linking the central and eastern parts of the country by rail.
URC's announcement comes as the corporation outlines other priorities, including preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 and efforts to reclaim railway land occupied by encroachers.
"Next up, preparations for AFCON," URC said.
"Clearance of all encroachment on URC land. We heard the calls, it is time to clear the reserve completely."
The corporation has been working to restore and expand Uganda's railway system as part of efforts to increase rail transport's role in passenger and cargo movement.
For Jinja, the return of passenger trains would reconnect the city to Kampala by rail after more than three decades, with the initial weekend service potentially laying the foundation for regular daily operations.
