CMA CGM, a global shipping group, began operating a dedicated freight train linking the Port of Mombasa with the Embakasi Inland Container Depot in Nairobi. The service, which started on Wednesday, runs one train each week and can move 108 TEUs per journey.
The launch was carried out together with the Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Railways Corporation. The train consists of 54 wagons and will initially transport containerised imports from the coast to the inland depot. CMA CGM said the first phase will gauge customer interest and may lead to more frequent trips and a return service from Nairobi to Mombasa.
Naveen Prabhu, Deputy Regional Director for East Africa at CMA CGM, described the operation as a milestone in the firm’s effort to improve links between maritime and inland markets, noting the company’s long-term commitment to Kenya’s economic development. Transport Principal Secretary Mohamed Daghar highlighted that tighter links between the seaport and interior hubs are vital for Kenya’s logistics chain and praised the partnership as an example of public-private cooperation.
The inauguration was attended by French Ambassador Wadid Benaabou, KPA chief executive William Ruto, Kenya Railways managing director Philip Mainga and senior CMA CGM representatives. Participants also toured the CMA CGM PALMYRE, an LNG-powered vessel, underscoring the group’s focus on reducing maritime emissions.
Beyond the rail line, CMA CGM is expanding inland logistics services such as its Kilima offering and has renewed a training partnership with Bandari Maritime Academy to develop Kenyan logistics talent. The CMA CGM Foundation, working with the Kenyan Red Cross, has supplied 11 converted shipping containers for the I.O.Me001 Innovation Centre in Mombasa, a hub for entrepreneurship and coding that involved more than 1,200 students in 2025, with an additional seven containers added through the French Embassy. The foundation is also helping refurbish the University of Nairobi football pitch in collaboration with the French Development Agency, a project aimed at addressing climate-related issues for roughly 50,000 students.
CMA CGM operates in 184 countries, employs about 170,000 people and ranks as the world’s third-largest carrier, serving over 420 ports with a fleet exceeding 700 vessels. In 2025 the group moved more than 24 million TEUs and its logistics arm CEVA Logistics ran 1,000 warehouses handling 15 million shipments. The company has set a goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
