Social media was awash on Friday, February 2, with a photo of an empty Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train indicating fewer travel bookings owing to the tough economy.
The photo gained traction online with observers alleging that travellers have abandoned SGR bookings following the recent fare hike.
The new fares, which took effect last month, saw passengers paying an increase of over Ksh1,500 for different routes. For instance, a first-class passenger travelling from Nairobi to Mombasa now pays Ksh4,500, up from Ksh3,000.
In a notice, Kenya Railways refuted the claims of empty bookings and clarified that the SGR service is operating normally.
"Kenya Railways has taken note of a picture doing its rounds on social media, of an empty coach indicating lack of passengers," the notice read in part.
"We wish to state that this picture is in no way a representation of the actual status of the Madaraka Express Service and bookings for travel are going on as normal."
"We remain committed to serving our customers and will do all we can to ensure that rail continues to remain their preferred mode of transport, via the Madaraka Express Service."
The photo sparked concerns from Kenyans online who blamed President William Ruto's administration for the high cost of living.
"This is an SGR coach departing Mombasa yesterday at 10:00 pm. The coach is empty since the fares hike to Ksh4,500 from Jan 1, 2024. Someone explain to me how this bottom-up economic model is working. The future doesn't look very bright."
"Both first class and economy are empty. No travellers in sight."
"SGR was my favourite transport vessel when I was studying at the Technical University of Mombasa. We used to pay Ksh1,000. Even VVIP was never Ksh4,500. The economy is indeed on the verge of collapsing," read some comments online.
In November 2023, Kenya Railways increased fares for five services including Madaraka Express Commuter Service, Nairobi Commuter Rail Service, Kisumu Safari Train, Nanyuki Safari Train and Madaraka Express Passenger Service.
At the time, the increase was attributed to the change in the energy and petroleum sector where fuel prices were on an upward trajectory.
