• Operations of the Nanyuki passenger train were suspended until further notice
•The corporation has also waived the rescheduling fee for tickets purchased before May 2
Image: NMS
Commuters will have to visit the Madaraka Express passenger counter at railway stations 48 hours before travel to reschedule pre-lockdown trips.
Kenya Railways on Sunday announced resumption of services outside Nairobi.
The resumption follows President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Labour Day announcement ending the cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi and four adjacent counties. The curfew was shortened from 8pm to 4pm to 10pm to 4pm.
Those who had booked tickets before Nairobi was put under cessation of movement between March 26 and May 2 will have to reschedule their tickets depending on availability of seats.
The Kenya Railways Corporation has also waived rescheduling fees for tickets purchased before May 2 as it opens booking platforms for online purchase.
The link trains to Nairobi Terminus from Mombasa will resume services at 6.35am, 12pm and 8pm.
The Madaraka Express Passenger Services between Mombasa and Suswa resumed operations on Monday.
The schedule remains unchanged. The inter-county train departs at 8am, the express train at 3pm and the night train at 10pm.
On March 26, the Railways Corporation announced changes in the Madaraka Express Passenger Service and the Nairobi Commuter Rail Service following the presidential address on the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Kenyatta declared a cessation of movement in and out of the zoned areas of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Kajiado.
Adjustments to the Nairobi Commuter Rail Service schedule were also made to enable the service to run nonstop.
Operations of the Nanyuki passenger train were suspended until further notice.
Kenya Railways had earlier announced the Nairobi Commuter Rail service will be improved with six more diesel trains (diesel, multiple-units or DMUs). Trains will run more frequently.
The trains comprise four coaches and can be driven in either direction. They will stop at 10 modernised termini, including Syokimau, Makadara, Pipeline, Donholm, Imara Daima and Embakasi Village.
Transport CS James Macharia had said the six trains were part of 11 DMUs bought from Spain's island of Mallorca and only five had arrived so far. The remaining six were to be in the country by early April.
The CS said the trains have a special section painted yellow and they will be used only by schoolchildren.
Last year, Kenya Railways said it acquired the 11 refurbished diesel trains and spare parts from Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca (SFM) for Sh1.15 billion.
The used diesel units have a remaining economic life of 23 to 25 years.
(Edited by V. Graham)