Kenya Railways, reinstates the Kisumu Safari Train following a nearly one-year hiatus from service, to provide commuters traveling to Western Kenya alternative transport during the approaching peak holiday period in December.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the rail service said the service would resume on the festive season from Friday, December 19, to run until January 12, 2026, targeting the surge of passengers traveling upcountry for vacation during the Christmas and New Year festive periods.
The fact that the train will return to operating is also expected to, to some extent, relieve pressure on the long-distance buses, which normally are overwhelmed during holiday periods. For most commuters, December travel is often marked by full bus stations, last-minute rushes to acquire seats, and prices that skyrocket as a result.
The train will leave Nairobi Central Station at 5:30 in the evening and will arrive in Kisumu at 6:30 in the morning the next day. The train will make stops at Nairobi Terminus, Mai Mahiu, and other halting stations along the Rift Valley route.
Passengers will require Ksh2,400 to purchase the first-class ticket, while the economy class fare will amount to Ksh900. This takes an estimated 13 hours.
On the return journey, the train will depart from Kisumu at 6:30 pm and will arrive in Nairobi by 8:00 am to allow passengers to travel overnight.
According to Kenya Railways, the initiative aims to provide passengers with another budget-friendly option in the wake of expensive bus seats, which have become stressful to procure, especially from major stages such as the Machakos Country Bus Station.
The bus companies are also known to increase fares during this season, leaving poor passengers with less choice. The Safari Train, said the company, provides an affordable and safer mode of transport, in addition to reducing the troubles involved in land travel.
This service is announced barely a month after Kenya Railways introduced an extra passenger train on the Nairobi to Mombasa route to meet the rising holiday passenger demand.
“Through a notice dated December 2, the company announced that the extra train will run from December 8 to January 5,” It leaves Nairobi at 9:40 am, with an arrival at Voi by 1:35 pm and Mombasa by 3:55 pm.
Return journeys begin with a departure from Mombasa at 4:30 pm, with a stopover of 6:15 pm in Voi and an arrival in Nairobi by 10:55 pm.