After a long wait spanning decades, Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has finally unveiled the Nairobi-Kisumu passenger train ahead of the 2021 December festivities.
The Kisumu Safari
train will hit the rail on Friday, December 17th, rekindling memories of when
passenger trains between Nairobi and Kisumu ran on the Metre Gauge Railway line
in May 2012.
The corporation said that passengers plying the route will
be charged KSh 600 for economy trains while colleagues traveling in the
first-class coach will part with KSh 2000.
Economy trains will resume operations on Friday, December
17th, while first-class trains are expected on the route on Sunday, December 19th.
Kenya Railways will charge KSh 300 as transport cost between
Nairobi and Nakuru, KSh 400 for Nakuru and Kisumu.
On Saturday, September 25, Kenya Railways managing director
Philip Mainga led Kenya Railways on a train
ride from Nakuru to Kisumu in the company of members of the
Parliamentary Committee on Finance and National Planning.
The MD said the resumption of the train services linking the
coast and the western region
via Nairobi would be a game-changer.
Mainga said the move would uplift businesses
on the railway line with cargo business also set to be launched.
Comfort and convenience on railway
Travelers to Western Kenya who have often relied on buses
and matatus would now be less stressed given that train services are faster and
more comfortable.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has been working on the refurbishment which
has been inoperative for more than a decade.
The Nakuru-Kisumu line which has 17 stations ceased
operating after the granting of the concessionaire by the Rift Valley Railways.
The line connects to the Kisumu Port, whose original concept was fixed to the standard gauge railway enabling cargo from Mombasa to reach the recently refurbished Kisumu Port.