New train broke down? Kenyans demand reasons why from KR
David Indeje
Kenya Railways’ (KR) apology for inconveniencing rail commuters on Wednesday could not stop the public demanding for reasons why the ‘new train broke down…’ The train broke down en route to Nairobi at Kibwezi for 1 hour on Wednesday morning according to KR who announced on their social media feeds.
“Passengers aboard the E1 train from Mombasa to Nairobi today experienced an unscheduled 1 hour stop at Kibwezi during the journey.We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused,” announced KR.
Passengers aboard the E1 train from Mombasa to Nairobi today experienced an unscheduled 1 hour stop at Kibwezi during the journey #KRupdate
But the public could not believe that. They were curious to know what had caused the mechanical problem.
Maundu Muli said, “KR should at least give a detailed reason for the delay otherwise perceptions in the transport business is very important and if not managed may hurt such a huge investment.”
Moses Mogaka who has frequently observed the train’s routine noted that, “I usually see it passing Athi River at 1313 hrs. Today I have just seen it at 1524 hrs. That’s more than 2 hrs delay.”
Arthur Otieno in disgust said, “New train engines stalling!!!!!! Everything China is fake.” The 472.3km Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Nairobi to Mombasa was built and funded by the Chinese, officially opened to the public on Madaraka Day.
The passenger service was dubbed Madaraka Express, and each train seats up to 960 passengers with a Mombasa – Nairobi fare of Ksh 700 in standard class and Ksh 3000 in first.
The passenger service operates two types of trains – intercity and county. The line is forecast to carry around 22 million tonnes of freight per year from Mombasa, representing 40 percent of the port’s throughput.
