Low demand over Christmas: KRC halts NBO commuter ops
The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has suspended operations on the Nairobi commuter train service for 11 days due to a fall in passenger demand during the festive season. The corporation’s managing director Philip Mainga told the Business Daily in an interview yesterday that service on key city routes such as Ruiru, Embakasi, Kikuyu and Syokimau will grind to a halt on December 24 up to January 3, denying commuters left in Nairobi the convenience of using the trains.
Operations on the new railway link from the city centre to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) that cost passengers Sh250 on a single trip will however remained uninterrupted. The corporation will also be operating the Madaraka Express passenger service, the commuter link to and from Standard Gauge Rail (SGR) Nairobi terminus as well as the Nairobi-Nanyuki rail service.
“It’s a holiday season and, therefore, there is a reduced service level which is a normal annual occurrence. This will allow the corporation an opportunity to undertake major mechanical service to its locomotives and refurbish its commuter coaches and tracks,” said Mr Mainga. The locomotives charge between Sh40 and Sh60. It has about 10 coaches each carrying between 150 and 170 passengers per trip.
The Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) that were imported from Spain to serve Nairobi commuters and more than double passenger traffic from 15,000 to 40,000 after every stop charges Sh100 after every stop. The diesel trains are set to boost the economy, eliminating fare evasion which has dogged the previous commuter system.
They operate mostly during the morning and evening as well as midmorning and in the afternoon. The trains will complement the existing locomotives serving the Nairobi region, and are expected to drive the rise of commuter numbers to 132,000 after further expansion of tracks and addition of locomotives.
