The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has announced a system failure on Sunday, September 12, affecting online booking services for customers using the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line.
According to KR, the system failure meant travellers could not purchase tickets online or through the (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) USSD payment solution.
Those booking online services for the Madaraka Express plying the Nairobi-Mombasa route were urged to purchase tickets over the counter at the nearest Madaraka Express Service station.
"Efforts to restore normalcy are ongoing. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused and will advise once normal services are restored," read the statement in part.
A number of travellers took to their online platforms to lament the stalled online services- pointing out that they were unable to secure the tickets for weekend travelling.
They faulted the corporation for the customer care hotline being unreachable and urged them to find a long-lasting solution to curb the issue.
"Your contacts don't seem to be of any assistance. I have been calling over for more than four hours without a response. I am disappointed completely," read one of the complaints.
The incident mirrors a case on Thursday, August 5, where travellers were affected after KR experienced another system failure.
The corporation issued a statement noting that those plying the SGR route would have to physically book the tickets by visiting their offices.
The Ksh360 billion SGR project was aimed at providing a fast, reliable mode of transportation and an alternative to road transport.
The project has, however, accumulated losses due to the effects of the pandemic as well as low uptake by travellers.
