CMA CGM Seeks to Consolidate Position in East African Market

Global shipping giant CMA CGM is moving to consolidate its strong presence in the East African market. In its latest step, the company is launching a dedicated freight train service that will operate from the Port of Mombasa, Kenya, to the hinterland.

With a total of 45.4 million metric tons of cargo entering the East Africa region through the Port of Mombasa in 2025, competition for business among shipping lines is becoming increasingly competitive, particularly for containerized cargo. Last year, container traffic at the port reached 2.1 million TEU, a 5.5 percent increase from 2 million TEU in 2024.

To safeguard its market and battle for more business, CMA CGM has partnered with the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) to launch a dedicated full block train service to transport cargo from the Mombasa Port to the Nairobi-based Inland Container Depot (ICD).

The shipping giant highlighted that the train service is starting with 54 wagons and a capacity of 108 containers. While at the beginning it will operate one train per week, the company intends to increase frequency depending on customer demand as well as introduce a return service.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →