Madaraka Express passengers nears Sh2mn, SGR revenue hits Sh15bn

Nairobi, Kenya, May 5- The number of passengers using the Madaraka Express increased from 806,000 in 2020 to 1,993,000 in 2021, a new report released by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has revealed noting that the revenue from its passenger traffic more than doubled to Sh2.2billion over the same period from Sh896million in 2020.

The 2022 KNBS economic survey indicated that revenue from cargo haulage on the SGR rose by 24 percent from Sh 10.5billion to Sh13 billion bringing the total SGR revenue to Sh15.2 billion.

“The increase in passenger traffic and revenue was buoyed by easing of COVID-19 measures relating to mobility coupled with the introduction of additional passenger train for night travel,” the report said.

In addition, the revenue from Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) passenger service improved from Sh83 million in 2020 to Sh 234 million while revenue from cargo transported on the MGR rose from Sh 1,114 million to Shs 1,118 million.

“The upsurge was mainly attributed to easing of COVID-19 containment measures in the country, continued revamping of Nairobi Commuter Rail (NCR) services through the full operationalization of 11 Diesel Multiple Units (DMU), and the introduction of new routes to Limuru and Lukenya,” the report added.

It was also attributed to the re-introduction of the Nairobi – Kisumu Safari Train in December 2021 which partly contributed to improved revenue in the journeys by MGR passenger service.

In regards to the cargo transported via MGR, the report pointed out that the cargo volume dropped from 652,000 tonnes in 2020 to 644,000 tonnes during the period under review.

“This was mainly due to a decline in import volumes of steel, one of the main commodities transported using the MGR,” the report said.

Despite the drop in cargo transport, KNBS noted that there was a slight increase in revenue from MGR cargo stream from Sh 1,114 million in 2020 to Sh 1,118 million in 2021 partly due to the ferrying of high-value cargo.

The SGR freight shipping rose by 22.6 percent from 4,411 thousand tonnes in 2020 to 5,407 thousand tonnes in 2021.