Kenya - General Information
Country Name
Kenya (officially the Republic of Kenya)
National Railway System
Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), also Kenya Railways (KR) is the national railway of Kenya. Established in 1977, KR is a state corporation.
Official Website
Language
The national language is Kiswahili; the official languages are Kiswahili and English
Currency
Kenyan shilling (KES)
UIC code
None
Timetable
Journey Planner
Go to https://krc.co.ke/#
Downloadable Timetable
Go to https://krc.co.ke/#
Printed Timetable
None known
Engineering Information
None known
Bus Information
Not known
Maps
Printed Maps
Web-based Maps
None known
Ticketing
Go to https://krc.co.ke/#
Gauge
Standard and Metre (which is sometimes referred to as 3 foot) - see "Recent and future changes", below.
Electrification
There are no electrified lines in Kenya.
Rule of the road
Left but the system is almost entirely single track
Other Railways
Magadi Railway - see http://www.psul4all.free-online.co.uk/wbe.htm
Tourist Lines
None.
Metro
None.
Trams
None.
Recent and future changes
After a gap of 15 years, the metre gauge service from Nairobi to Kisumu resumed on 17 December 2021: Fridays only: Nairobi 06:00 Kisumu 17:45; Sundays only: Kisumu 06:00 Nairobi 18:20. See https://krc.co.ke/nairobi-kisumu-safari-train-makes-the-long-awaited-comeback/
The Mombasa – Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway opened to passenger service on 1 May 2017, whereupon Rift Valley Railways (RVR) suspended their Nairobi - Mombasa long distance passenger service on the old metre gauge line to "enable RVR to reorganize their services". Commercial freight began on 1 January 2018. An extension from Nairobi to Suswa was completed in October 2019. A second phase would see the line extended to Malaba, near the border with Uganda, and eventually to Kampala. However, it is doubtful that this will ever happen.
Special Notes
Distances in km:
Nairobi – Mombasa | 530 |
Nairobi – Nakuru – Kisumu | 398 |
Kisumu – Butere | 69 |