Kenya Railways has announced the suspension of the Nanyuki safari train service scheduled for Friday, January 17, 2025, due to technical issues along the route.
In a statement released on Thursday, January 16, 2025, Kenya Railways cited a blockage on a section of the railway line that has made train movement between Nairobi and Nanyuki impossible.
“Our technical teams are working to clear the blockage and restore the line to working order,” the corporation stated.
They further assured passengers that efforts were underway to resume normal operations as soon as possible, apologizing for any inconvenience caused by the disruption.
“As always, the safety of our passengers is of paramount importance to us. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and look forward to having you onboard upon resumption of normal service,” Kenya Railways said.
The suspension comes less than a month after the corporation had increased its operations on the route during the festive season to meet increased demand.
The daily trips announced on December 19, 2024, took effect between December 20, 2024 and December 25, 2024.
Kenya Railways train schedule
The Nanyuki Safari train operates weekly, departing Nairobi every Friday at 9:00 am, and returning from Nanyuki every Sunday, completing each journey in seven hours.
The train service makes stops at multiple stations along its route, including Makadara, Dandora, Mwiki, Githurai, Kahawa West, Ruiru, Mitubiri, and Thika.
Additional stops include Kalimoni, Makuyu, Maragua, Murang’a, Sagana Karatina, Kiganjo, Chaka, and Naro Moru stations.
The Safari train fares normally range between Ksh400 and Ksh1,000.
Economy class tickets go for Ksh400 while First class tickets go for Ksh1,000, with special rates available for those boarding or alighting at intermediate stops.
Number of passengers
In March, data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) revealed that 97,000 commuters used the Nairobi-Nanyuki Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) in 2023, while 68,784 commuters traveled on the Nairobi-Kisumu train.
This brings the total number of passengers who travelled on MGR trains along these two routes in 2023 to at least 165,784, more than double the number from 2022.
