TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting and offers profound insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

On Wednesday, January 22, the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) announced the resumption of the Nanyuki safari train service.

After a week-long disruption, the company noted that normal passenger services would resume, offering relief to Kenyans and visitors travelling through the Nairobi-Nanyuki route.

"We wish to inform members of the public that the Nanyuki safari train has resumed service as per the normal schedule.

"The train will depart from Nairobi Central Station for Nanyuki every Friday at 9:00am and make its return trip from Nanyuki to Nairobi every Sunday at 9:00am,” KRC stated.

On Friday, January 17, KRC announced a service disruption affecting passengers on the Nairobi-Nanyuki safari train.

This followed the blockage of a portion of the railway line, making it difficult for trains to travel between the two places.

However, the corporation did not disclose the nature of the railway line disruption or the reason for the obstruction.

It assured passengers that it was working to restore normalcy as soon as possible.

The railway transport sector in Kenya collapsed during the 24 years of KANU rule with the late retired president Daniel Moi at the helm.

Owing to mismanagement, passenger and cargo trains screeched to a premature yet costly halt, and the metre-gauge railway network that served key towns and cities across the country was damaged.

But the trains have since roared back to life after the projects were revived.

The 177km Nairobi-Nanyuki railway line was brought back to life in December 2020 at a cost of KSh 3 billion after nearly two decades of stalling.

Meanwhile, KRC announced the resumption of the Madaraka Express's stopover at the Voi station, giving passengers who want to link their rail journeys to Mombasa or Nairobi a reason to smile.

The corporation said the train from Nairobi would stop in Voi between 2.05am and 2.08am, and the one from Mombasa to Nairobi would stop between 11.45 and 11.48pm.

The new schedule was effected on Sunday, December 15, 2024.

In other news, President William Ruto revealed Kenya could partner with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to extend the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to Uganda, abandoning China.

This emerged after Ruto held talks with the UAE Investment Minister Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi on Tuesday, January 14.

The head of state noted the SGR will also be expanded to South Sudan to enhance regional connectivity among East African Community (EAC) nations.

Source: TUKO.co.ke