KAMPALA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- A team of 10 Ugandan engineers have finished a three-month training in China as part of the drive to enhance landlocked Uganda's connectivity by building a modern rail line, a Ugandan military spokesperson said Thursday.

Brig. Richard Karemire told Xinhua the training in standard gauge railway (SGR) construction, sponsored by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and held in north China's Hebei Province, has given the engineers from the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) the necessary skills to build an SGR line that will connect Uganda to the seaport of Mombasa in neighboring Kenya.

The CHEC and the Ugandan military signed a memorandum of understanding in August. The Chinese company, contracted to construct Uganda's SGR, will also train Ugandan personnel for the project.

The CHEC will also work with the UPDF to build a polytechnic institute in the eastern border district of Tororo.

Once the SGR is completed, it will take only two days to transport goods from Mombasa to Ugandan capital Kampala. Currently, it takes 14 days. It will slash transportation costs and boost the economy.

Kenya has already begun operating an SGR linking its capital Nairobi to Mombasa. The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR was built with Chinese expertise and funding.