A rail line in Kenya linking Nairobi, the capital, with the port city of Mombasa is said to be the country’s largest infrastructure project since it gained independence in 1963. The standard-gauge railway, more than 470 kilometers long, provides freight and passenger service. Completed in May 2017, the project aims to cut rail travel time significantly between the two cities and lower logistics costs. The project team says the use of pozzolana instead of fly ash in high-performance concrete will help to reduce carbon emissions and diesel consumption. The project’s injury rate per million work hours was 2.4, with no fatalities. Safety programs included HIV/AIDS prevention. The rail line, which published reports say is part of China’s “Belt and Road” infrastructure initiative, runs through national parks and other environmentally sensitive areas. It has 14 corridors to allow safe passage for giraffes and other large animals. Kenya Railways said June 5 that more than 1.1 million passengers used the route’s express train in its first year of operation.

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