This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/31/chinese-built-railway-line-cut-nairobi-national-park-kenya

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Chinese-built railway line to cut through Nairobi national park in Kenya Chinese-built railway line to cut through Nairobi national park in Kenya
(about 4 hours later)
Kenya’s new Chinese-built rail line will cut through Nairobi’s wildlife sanctuary, officials said on Friday, replacing the colonial-era railway known as the Lunatic Express.Kenya’s new Chinese-built rail line will cut through Nairobi’s wildlife sanctuary, officials said on Friday, replacing the colonial-era railway known as the Lunatic Express.
Related: Wildlife pushed back as city encroaches on Nairobi national parkRelated: Wildlife pushed back as city encroaches on Nairobi national park
Kenya’s game parks and abundant wildlife draw tourists from across the world but the government has said that must not stop Kenya from building infrastructure to speed up development in a country where poverty remains rife. Kenya’s game parks and abundant wildlife draw tourists from across the world, but the government has said that must not stop Kenya from building infrastructure to speed up development in a country where poverty remains rife.
Under an agreement struck between wildlife officials and Kenya’s government, the rail line will not alter the boundaries of the 117 sq km (45 sq mile) Nairobi national park. Instead, it will be walled off and raised above the ground so animals can safely pass underneath.Under an agreement struck between wildlife officials and Kenya’s government, the rail line will not alter the boundaries of the 117 sq km (45 sq mile) Nairobi national park. Instead, it will be walled off and raised above the ground so animals can safely pass underneath.
“Ideally, there should be no transportation in a national park,” said Richard Leakey, board chairman of the Kenyan Wildlife Service and a renowned conservationist.“Ideally, there should be no transportation in a national park,” said Richard Leakey, board chairman of the Kenyan Wildlife Service and a renowned conservationist.
But, he said, the final plan was a “pragmatic” balance of wildlife and development concerns. But, he said, the final plan was a pragmatic balance of wildlife and development concerns.
Related: Kenya's iconic Nairobi national park is under threat, conservationists warnRelated: Kenya's iconic Nairobi national park is under threat, conservationists warn
“We can’t say to the Nairobi resident: ’You have to sit in a traffic jam for the rest of your life,’” Leakey told reporters on the edge of the park. “We can’t say to the Nairobi resident: ‘You have to sit in a traffic jam for the rest of your life’,” Leakey told reporters.
Money saved from routing the line through the park, rather than building in populated areas that would require land seizures, will go into an endowment for the park’s upkeep, officials say, although the amount was not disclosed.Money saved from routing the line through the park, rather than building in populated areas that would require land seizures, will go into an endowment for the park’s upkeep, officials say, although the amount was not disclosed.
The $13.8bn rail project, which began last December, will eventually link Kenya’s Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi, then on to Uganda. It is part of a package of deals signed between Kenya and China in 2013.The $13.8bn rail project, which began last December, will eventually link Kenya’s Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi, then on to Uganda. It is part of a package of deals signed between Kenya and China in 2013.
The existing narrow-gauge railway was built by the British at the turn of last century and was nicknamed the Lunatic Express, in part because workers constructing it were eaten by lions. The old line does not cut through Nairobi’s game park but it does pierce the Tsavo national park.The existing narrow-gauge railway was built by the British at the turn of last century and was nicknamed the Lunatic Express, in part because workers constructing it were eaten by lions. The old line does not cut through Nairobi’s game park but it does pierce the Tsavo national park.
Related: Kenya signals high-speed trains to replace 'lunatic line' eraRelated: Kenya signals high-speed trains to replace 'lunatic line' era
The standard-gauge line will be built in a fairly remote stretch of the park and Leakey said it was unlikely it would have any impact on the number of visitors to one of Nairobi’s top attractions.The standard-gauge line will be built in a fairly remote stretch of the park and Leakey said it was unlikely it would have any impact on the number of visitors to one of Nairobi’s top attractions.
“In a perverse way, because that bridge ... is an example [of] an African nation that cares for wildlife and has gone out of its way to consider the interests of wildlife, it will actually attract people who want to see it,” he said. “In a perverse way, because that bridge ... is an example [of] an African nation that cares for wildlife and has gone out of its way to consider the interests of wildlife, it will actually attract people who want to see it,” said Leakey.