Madaraka Express to resume full service – Nairobi News

Kenya Railways Corporation has announced the resumption of a second Madaraka Express passenger train services between Nairobi and Mombasa.

Since July, when the passenger train services resumed, Kenya Railways has been operating only two trains daily between Nairobi and Mombasa.

But beginning Thursday, Madaraka Express operator Afristar will be operating four trains daily.

In a notice, the firm has also released a new schedule for the passenger train service between the two counties.

In the new schedule, two trains will leave Nairobi and Mombasa at the same time in the morning and two other trains will leave in the afternoon.

Morning trains from the two cities will depart at 8am, with one train departing from the Nairobi terminus for Mombasa and vice versa.

STRICT PROTOCALS

In the afternoon, two trains will depart Mombasa and Nairobi at 2:15pm. The train services will operate under strict coronavirus protocols.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said the passenger train service will operate on a 50 percent capacity, with an extra coach for isolation.

To facilitate the smooth resumption of the services, Afristar has deployed 10 coaches, including eight economic coaches and 2 first-class coaches.

SERVICES SUSPENDED

This is in line with CS Macharia’s directive that 10 coaches should be provided to ferry close to 600 passengers on a one-way trip.

SGR Passenger services were suspended on April 7, 2020, after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the cessation of movement into and out of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa County and Mandera County.

On Monday, the Head of State announced an extension of the daily dusk-to-dawn curfew for an additional 60 days.

President Kenyatta however adjusted the curfew time from 9pm to 11pm with directives taking effect on Tuesday, September 29.