Validity of unused Madaraka Express train tickets extended
Passengers board a Madaraka Express train at the Nairobi terminus, for a journey to Mombasa, on July 25, 2019.
Travellers who were unable to use their Madaraka Express tickets purchased during the Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year now have until December 31, 2021 to reschedule their trips.
Kenya Railways has extended the validity of tickets bought between March 26 and May 3, 2021 to the end of the year.
In a public notice yesterday, the company said ticket holders should visit the nearest Madaraka Express station and reschedule their trips over the counter.
But passengers can only reschedule their journeys at least 48 hours before departure time and rebooking will be subject to available space.
“We wish to notify passengers in possession of unutilised tickets purchased for travel during the period the cessation of movement order that was in force March 26 and May 3, 2021 that the rescheduling window has been extended up to December 31, 2021,” the notice said.
Travellers should bring along their original identification documents and a copy.
In May, when lockdown ended, Kenya Railways said it had waived rescheduling fees for tickets purchased before May 2, 2021 and passengers were free to rearrange their travel with unused tickets.
In March, a spike in Covid-19 cases prompted President Uhuru Kenyatta to ban the movement of residents of five counties - Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado and Nakuru.
Kenya Railways then suspended services, leaving many travellers holding unused tickets.
This affected the operations of the Madaraka Express passenger service, which transports passengers between Mombasa and Suswa, with stopovers in Mariakani, Miasenyi, Voi, Mtito Andei, Kibwezi, Emali, Athi River, Nairobi, Ongata Rongai, Ngong, and Maai Mahiu.
President Kenyatta, on Labour Day, lifted the ban on movement in the five counties, allowing train services to resume.
Subsequently, Kenya Railways announced that Madaraka Express passenger train services would resume on May 3.
The service started operations on June 1, 2018 and more than five million passengers have been moved by the train since.
