The Kenya Railways on Thursday announced the temporary suspension of commuter trains that will affect its scheduled travels.
In a notice dated December 19, the transport provider alerted commuters of the suspension of commuter trains that will run from December 2024, 23, to January 5, 2025.
“We wish to notify members of the public that commuter train services will temporarily be suspended from December 23, 2024, to January 5, 2025,” read the statement in part. The Railway provided did not mention the reasons for the suspension of the commuter trains.
However, Kenya Railways clarified that the suspension would not affect weekly Safari trains to Nanyuki and Kisumu which will operate as scheduled.
Inside the Nairobi Commuter Trains on November 10, 2020.
“Kindly note that this temporary suspension will not affect the Standard Gauge Railway Link train and the weekly Safari trains to Nanyuki and Kisumu which will continue to operate as per schedule,” the notice clarified.
Madaraka Express Services via SGR will also continue to run as per the normal schedule and will not be affected by the suspension.
The announcement came on the same day after the Kenya Railways announced two new additional trips to and from Kisumu and Nairobi as Christmas holiday draws nay.
The two trips are slated to kick off on January 15, 2025, to facilitate smooth travelling even during the school opening.
It is not the first time, Kenya Railways has suspended commuter trains. On November 25, Kenya Railways announced a disruption affecting the commuter train service between Nairobi CBD and Limuru.
The service was suspended in the morning due to “unavoidable circumstances,” although specific reasons were not disclosed at that time.
Another significant suspension occurred on October 10, when Kenya Railways announced that all commuter trains would be suspended in observance of Mazingira Day (formerly known as Utamaduni Day).
While most commuter services were halted for this day, the link train operating between Nairobi Central Station and Nairobi Terminus remained operational.
Overall, these announcements reflect a commitment by Kenya Railways to prioritize passenger safety while also responding to environmental observances and necessary infrastructure improvements.
A montage showing the new Nairobi commuter train and the Bus Rapid Transport vehicles.