Mechanical problem delays SGR passengers
An SGR train at the Nairobi terminus.
Passengers on board the Mombasa-Nairobi Madaraka Express train were on Thursday stranded for hours after the train developed mechanical problems.
Passengers had to wait for almost two hours to be rescued by the operator, who dispatched a freight locomotive to pull the train, instead of a passenger one after it got stuck at the Lesonkoyo station.
Kenya Railways (KR) said in a statement that the inter-county train had been delayed “due to a mechanical issue”, but didn't clarify further.
The train left Mombasa at 8am and was expected to arrive in Nairobi at 2pm before it developed the hitch.
“The inter-county train from Mombasa to Nairobi has developed a mechanical problem resulting in an undue delay. We have dispatched a rescue locomotive to enable the passengers to complete the journey,” it said.
KR said the train was now expected to arrive in Nairobi at 4:20pm.
As a result, passengers heading to Mombasa from Nairobi were delayed by at least two hours.
“The 3pm express train to Mombasa will now depart at 5pm. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused,” it added.
The freight locomotive arrived
A passenger aboard the Nairobi-bound train shared his experience on social media, claiming that they were kept in the dark until an announcement was made after the freight locomotive arrived.
“We are here and the train is full of students who are hungry and angry,” he said.
A video clip shared by a passenger at the Syokimau terminal showed hundreds of desperate travellers seated as they waited for the train to depart.
In January, KR said travellers would be able to book a night train on the Nairobi-Mombasa SGR after KR revised its train schedule and introduced a night inter-county train service to meet increased demand from teachers and students returning to schools.
The rail firm had obtained an exemption from the dusk-to-dawn curfew in force at the time.
In the new schedule, two express trains now operate in the afternoon and at night, while the third Madaraka Express train is for the inter-county service.
A pair of the afternoon express trains operate between the two cities, with journeys commencing at 3pm and ending at 8pm.
KR says the inter-county trains operate during the day.
SGR trains had been operating between the two cities, with journeys commencing at 8am and 3pm.
