Uganda Railway Museum

Uganda Railway Museum is a Ugandan community museum located in Jinja, Uganda along the Jinja-Iganga highway. The museum showcases the history of the Uganda's railway system from its origins during the colonial times to its role in nation-building. The museum is at the Jinja Railway Station, which was constructed in 1928. It was opened to the public in March 2022 by the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda.

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History

In 1914, a six-kilometer railway line was built from Luzira to Kampala. There was an attempt to extend the railway to Bombo, but it initially stopped in Kawempe, which is how "Kalerwe" got its name. The Kampala-Kawempe railway began operations in 1923 and was later extended to Bombo. Still, it didn't boost cotton production as the colonialists expected, so the Kampala-Bombo railway line was closed in 1926. This is how the construction of another railway began in Jinja 1928. The museum shows what roles the railway and Rail transport in Uganda played during a time when Uganda was still a British Colony in the colonial era and post independence.

Collection

Inside, there are displays of words and pictures about how the railway in Uganda got started and what it did for the country. There's also an old train engine and a fancy passenger car that have been fixed up. A short movie and other stuff explain why the railway was so important to people and culture. It even affected place names, like Kalerwe. The museum operates from Tuesday through Sunday and has both indoor and outdoor exhibits.