The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has revealed plans to introduce ultra-modern coaches on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) for the Nairobi - Mombasa route.
Speaking to KTN News, KRC Managing Director, Philip Maingi, noted that starting the next year, they will introduce modern coaches that will come with WI-FI, executive lounges, and hotels.
The trains will be modified and fitted with people-friendly services to improve their usability in the Kenyan market.
According to Maingi, commuters using ultra-modern trains will have access to Wi-Fi, infotainment screens, conference halls, hotels and sleeping areas. The trains will further have working areas to allow those traveling to move with ease.
"We are now going to put better services in terms of wi-fi in Madaraka Express. Business women and men in this country will now have conference halls, we will have dining in trains, hold events in the train and we are going to bring modern coaches," Maingi stated.
Responding to reports of increasing ticket prices, Maingi noted that there are no plans to review the travel costs upwards.
"We are not going to increase the prices and we have not done this in the last four years," Maingi explained.
With 68 days to the August 9 General Election, KRC further disclosed that Madaraka Express will increase its operations to cater for the many people who will be travelling upcountry.
He noted that more local routes will be considered in the upgrade plan, including increasing the number of coaches to meet the increasing demands during polls.
SGR was conceived as a flagship project under Vision 2030. It was set to simplify transport operations across the borders and reduce travel costs, in addition to benefiting the economies of Kenya and the neighbouring countries.
The single-track standard gauge railway between Mombasa and Nairobi has a route length of around 480km and a total length of 609km.
It runs through the counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Makueni, Kajiado, Machakos and Nairobi. At the moment, SGR has three passenger trains plying the Nairobi - Mombasa line.
