Kenya Railways has increased Madaraka Express passenger and commuter train fare prices effective January 1, 2024, following the recent increase in fuel prices that has affected the cost of operations.
According to a statement released on Wednesday 1st, Kenya Railways announced an increase in fares for five services including Madaraka Express Passenger Service, Madaraka Express Commuter Service, Nairobi Commuter Rail Service, Kisumu Safari Train, and Nanyuki Safari Train.
The transport cost of traveling using an economy class from Nairobi to Mombasa will be Sh1,500, up from the initial Sh1,000. Passengers using first class from Nairobi to Mombasa will now pay Ksh4,500, up from an average of Ksh3,000. Passengers who ply the Nairobi to Suswa route will pay Ksh250, up from Ksh200.
“This increase is informed by changes in the energy and petroleum sector where fuel prices have significantly increased thus affecting the cost of our operations,” the statement reads in part.
“The new fares come into effect on January 1, 2024. Customers making advance purchases for the Madaraka Express Passenger Service will notice the adjusted fares as of November 1, 2023, to take into account the advance ticket purchasing window of 60 days,”
According to new charges, traveling from Nairobi to Rongai or Ngong will cost Sh130 from the current Sh100 while traveling from the city to Mai Mahiu or Suswa will cost Sh250.
The Kenya Railway has however notified customers making advance purchases for the Madaraka Express Passenger Service that their prices would be adjusted to take into account the ticket purchasing window of 60 days. Parents will pay half the fare for children between 3 to 11 years. Children over 11 years old will pay the full fare while those aged 3 years and below will not incur any fare charges.
According to the new data released by the SGR, since the rail officially began operations in 2017 more than 11,155,000 passengers have been dispatched. From June 2017 until June 11, this year Madaraka Express transported an astounding 10,335,919 passengers, covering approximately 7,358,241 kilometers.
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