Nairobi – Kisumu train service resumes operations

After a 15-year hiatus, the railroad linking Nairobi and Kisumu is operational again with the first train having left the capital for the lakeside city at 6 am on Friday, December 17, 2021.

The train, whose maximum capacity stands at 212 passengers, was 90 per cent booked by Thursday, December 16, mostly by Kenyans heading to the Nakuru and Western regions for December festivities.

The train was scheduled to arrive in Nakuru by 11 am before proceeding to Kisumu. The entire journey is estimated to take 11 hours with the train expected to dock in Kisumu at 5 pm. The train service will only be available between 6 am and 6:45 pm.  

Passengers travelling to Nakuru from Nairobi will part with Ksh.300 while those heading to Kisumu from Nakuru will pay Ksh.400. A direct ticket from Nairobi to Kisumu, in economy class, will cost Ksh. 600 while a first-class ticket for passengers heading to Kisumu from the Capital will retail at Ksh.2, 000.

According to Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga, the track is now fully operational after successful trials were conducted on the line linking the Standard Gauge Railway to the older Railway track at Longonot.

In due time the track is expected to ferry cargo and agricultural products too. Experts predict that the train service will boost businesses, stimulate the economy and create job opportunities in the Nakuru and Western regions.