Kenya Railways Managing Director Philip Mainga interacting with passengers aboard a Nanyuki-bound Meter Gauge Railway train at the Kenya Railways Central Station in Nairobi on December 23, 2025.
Hundreds of Kenyans have chosen the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as their mode of transport during this festive season.
A spot check by the Star on December 23, 2025, at the SGR Nairobi Terminus in Syokimau found that the number of travellers heading from Nairobi to Mombasa ahead of Christmas Day was overwhelming.
The majority of passengers observed during the visit were women with children, while men boarding the trains on Tuesday were slightly fewer in number.
Passengers included Kenyans from all walks of life, alongside foreigners, all travelling to the Coastal region to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.
Kenya Railways, on December 23, 2025, launched an extra train service from Nairobi to Mombasa to meet the increased demand for holiday travel.
Managing Director Philip Mainga said Kenya Railways had put in place adequate measures to handle the festive-season surge in passenger traffic.
The newly launched train departs Nairobi at 9.40 am, arriving in Voi at 1.35 pm. It departs Voi at 1.40 pm and reaches Mombasa at 3.35 pm, before departing Mombasa at 4.30 pm to arrive in Voi at 6.15 pm. It then leaves Voi at 6.20 pm and arrives in Nairobi at 10.55 pm.
The Standard Gauge Railway operates four passenger trains per day, with plans to increase capacity. The railway has 40 passenger coaches and support cars, and five passenger locomotives.
Since its inception in June 2017, the Nairobi–Mombasa SGR has transported over 14.8 million passengers. The service uses multiple units, including diesel rail cars with a capacity of 960 passengers, travelling at an average speed of 120 km/h. The railway has recorded 2,831 days of operations, with revenue rising by 36 per cent in the first nine months of 2024.
On regular days, Kenya Railways transports around 4,000 passengers daily on the Nairobi–Mombasa route. During the festive season, this number rises to about 10,000, according to Mainga.
To cater for the increased demand, extra trains have been added, including the Madaraka Express, which has been in operation since December 8, 2025.
The trains are fully booked until January 5, 2026, according to the Managing Director.
Mainga, accompanied by other Kenya Railways officials, witnessed the newly launched train’s departure from the SGR Nairobi Terminus at 9.40 am on Tuesday.
He interacted with passengers waiting to board as well as those already on the train, wishing them a safe journey, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2026.
Mainga also visited passengers aboard the Medium Gauge Railways at Kenya Railways Central Station in Nairobi’s CBD, extending festive greetings.
“We are here this morning to wish our customers Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We are also here to ensure that our customers travel safely to their destinations. Importantly, Kenya Railways has been undergoing transformation and improvement, and we are now at the peak of this transformation,” he said.
“This morning, we have launched an extra train to Mombasa. We have increased the number of trains, running four trains to Mombasa and four from Mombasa daily,” Mainga told reporters at the SGR Nairobi Terminus.
He added, “We are fully booked. This shows that many customers are choosing the train over road travel. The number of people using our network is huge. Our performance is strong, with high demand. Trains offer a safer, affordable, and reliable option. Our fare remains Sh1,500, which is economical compared to other modes of transport. All trains are fully booked now.”