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French shipping line CMA CGM has launched a dedicated rail freight service on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), running one train a week carrying containerised imports from the Port of Mombasa to the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Embakasi, The Star reported on October 31, 2026. The CMA CGM SGR freight service was inaugurated on October 28 with the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Railways.
How the service works
- Route: Kilindini harbour, Mombasa, to Nairobi ICD, Embakasi.
- Frequency: one dedicated train a week to start.
- Capacity: 54 wagons carrying 108 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
- Next steps: CMA CGM will assess demand before adding trains and possibly a return service from Nairobi to Mombasa.
“Today’s launch is an important milestone for CMA CGM in Kenya. Our ambition is to strengthen connectivity between the sea, the port and inland economies,” said Naveen Prabhu, the company’s deputy regional director for East Africa. Transport Principal Secretary Mohamed Daghar said efficient links between Mombasa and inland centres were essential to improving Kenya’s logistics chain.
Why shipping lines are moving inland
CMA CGM is the world’s third-largest container shipping company, serving more than 420 ports with over 700 vessels and carrying more than 24 million TEUs in 2025. It also owns CEVA Logistics. Global carriers increasingly sell door-to-door service, combining sea freight with inland transport and clearing, so the customer deals with one provider from the origin port to the inland depot.
For Kenya, the deal adds traffic to the SGR, which the government wants to carry more cargo to cut road congestion and wear on the Mombasa–Nairobi highway. It follows Kenya Railways’ launch this week of an SGR vehicle freight service, which moves cars in six-car wagons from Mombasa to Nairobi in about eight hours.
What it means for importers
- Another option: importers using CMA CGM can have containers railed directly to Nairobi ICD and cleared there, rather than arranging road haulage from Mombasa.
- Cost and reliability: the commercial value will depend on pricing, transit times, reliability and how quickly containers are released at the ICD. CMA CGM has not published tariffs.
- Competition for truckers: more rail freight means less long-haul container business for road transporters, a long-running source of tension in Mombasa.
- Return cargo: without a return leg, empty containers still need to get back to the coast, which affects costs.
Car importers should also budget for duty and other charges; our guide to car import duty rates sets them out.
Other CMA CGM activities in Kenya
The company runs the Kilima Xpress weekly container service linking Asia and the Far East with East Africa and the Indian Ocean, and has renewed a training partnership with Bandari Maritime Academy. Its foundation has worked with the Kenya Red Cross since 2023 on an innovation centre in Mombasa built from 11 converted shipping containers, which brought together 15 institutions and more than 1,200 students in 2025; seven more containers are being added.
FAQ
When did the CMA CGM SGR train start?
It was inaugurated on October 28, 2026.
How many containers does the CMA CGM train carry?
108 TEUs on 54 wagons, once a week to start.
Does the service run from Nairobi to Mombasa?
Not yet. CMA CGM says it may add a return service depending on demand.
Updated October 31, 2026.
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