GIS-Based Railway Route Selection for the Proposed Kenya-Sudan Railway: Case Study of Kitale-Kapenguria Section

Abstract

This paper describes a procedure developed for automated railway feasibility analysis based on GIS and Multi-Criteria analysis. Good engineering railway alignment requirements are assessed and suitable factors and constraints for feasibility analysis derived. Relevant digital map layers are then prepared and reclassified to meet the factor and constraint requirements. The layers are weighted and combined giving rise to a cost layer. Combination of the source and cost layer generates CostDistance and CostDirection layers. These two layers are combined with the destination to automatically generate four alternative routes each constrained to pass through apriori selected locations along the corridor from which the most optimal one is selected. This study aptly demonstrates that GIS is an indispensable and efficient tool for use in railway route selection.