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SGR fare plan gives free and cheaper rides to some groups

FRANCIS MULIJun 5, 20171.6k

President Uhuru Kenyatta has capped passenger fares at Ksh900 to cushion Kenyans against high cost of travel.

The recently launched Madaraka Express train service has announced free bus transfers for its customers between the Nairobi Central Railway Station (in the CBD) to Nairobi Terminus in Syokimau as well as Mombasa Railway Station on Mijikenda Street to the Mombasa SGR terminus in Miritini.

Buses sourced from National Youth Service (NYS) and Kenya Posta will be used to transport travelers from CBD to the stations and vice versa.

The two passenger trains will do one trip a day each, with the Nairobi-Mombasa train departing at 9.00am, the same time the Mombasa-Nairobi train will be also leaving for Nairobi.

Unfortunately, the free bus service runs for only three days after its launch, closing on June 6th, 2017 according to an advert published in the dailies. After the promotion ends, the KR will start using the old railway line to ferry people to the city centre in Nairobi.

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“We are making arrangements with the old railway line that passes beside the Nairobi terminus such that those coming from Mombasa can connect with it to town,” the management explained.

The tickets for the exciting four-hour journey to and fro Mombasa and Nairobi will be sold at the Nairobi and Mombasa terminuses at Ksh700 for economy class and Ksh3,000 for first class. Kenya Railways had announced Ksh900 for the economy class before President Uhuru slashed it by Ksh200 during the launch. Online ticketing expected to start in two weeks

Children under three (3) years will travel for free; those between three (3) and eleven (11) years will pay half price; and those above eleven (11) years will pay full cost. One can book up to four (4) days in advance.

The schedule for the county train has not yet been released. The intercity train will operate between Nairobi and Mombasa while the county one will make stops at the intermediate stations of Mariakani, Maisenyi, Voi, Mtito Andei, Kibwezi, Emali and Athi River

China provided loans that were used to build the railway, a Vision 2030 flagship project, which cost Ksh327 billion, and its companies built the line and supplied locomotives.

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Written by

FRANCIS MULI -

Editor and writer, Francis Muli has a passion for human interest stories. He holds a BSc in Communication and Journalism from Moi University and has worked for various organisations including Kenya Television Service. Email:[email protected]