Long night for travellers as train from Nairobi to Nanyuki stalls
Travellers alight from a train at the Karatina station in Nyeri County on December 24, 2020.
Kenya Railways was on Friday night forced to dispatch a bus to complete a trip to Nanyuki, Laikipia County, after its train stalled at Kirichu in Nyeri County.
In what is becoming a frequent occurrence, passengers aboard the weekly train to the Mt Kenya region were stranded for hours after the train developed mechanical problems.
On social media, some said they were stuck inside the locomotive for over five hours before Kenya Railways dispatched the bus from the capital city.
Others noted they were with children yet they had to face a cold night on empty stomachs as the crew ran out of food to sell to them.
Nyeri County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara confirmed the incident and said travellers were provided with an alternative means of transport.
Repairs done
On Saturday, Kenya Railways said the engine was repaired and that scheduled trips will continue, with a train to Nairobi expected to leave Nanyuki at 9am Sunday.
"The mechanical problem has been resolved. Normal services will resume tomorrow morning from the Nanyuki Railway Station,” said a statement from the corporation.
“Kenya Railways would like to reiterate its commitment to serve its customers efficiently. Consequently, a more robust plan has been put in place by our engineers to avoid a repeat of the incident in future.”
Efforts to get further information on the breakdown of passenger trains from Nairobi to Nanyuki and back were futile.
On December 27, the train to Nairobi, with over 2,000 passengers on board, stalled twice - at Ruthagati in Nyeri and Kakuzi in Murang’a.
The journey is supposed to take between six and seven hours but technical hitches push this to 10.
Kenya Railways charges a paltry Sh200 from Nairobi to Nanyuki and vice versa.
