The Train IV
Nairobi Central Railways Station is not your typical idling zone but every Friday you are allowed to hang around in the station as you wait for the next train that rolls off from the station on its way to Nanyuki town.
And if you have not been following my train story, truly i don’t blame you. I also find it weird i write about it but something in me keeps pushing me to write about them. To bring you to this story please read about The Train III and a half HERE
Train To Nanyuki
Every Friday, at around 8.30am travelers to Nanyuki start gathering. This train travels 178km through the beautiful green corridor going through these towns Marua, Karatina, Chaka, Naro Moru, Sagana, Maragua, Makuyu, Thika and Ruiru. It arrives in Nanyuki at about 4pm. The return trip happens the following Sunday same time.
Fares
Since its the MGR, you have a cool 7hr ride that will see you part with ksh 1000 for the first class and about ksh 200 for the economy class. The economy class is the famous one because many alight along the way in the different towns. the economy class fares change and can go as low as ksh 50 depending on where you are alighting.
The Ride
If you have time over a weekend and looking for a nice way to just relax and clear your mind, then this is the train you should take. I know many people have an issue with time it takes and if you are one of them then its okay use the road but you will be missing a very relaxing trip through the scenic Kenyan landscape.
The corporation have really improved the state of the coaches. They are clean, they are smelling fresh and very welcoming. I was welcomed with lights and was so happy only for the lights to go off as soon as I put my bag down.
I am not sure if that changed but there was a time the SGR train to Mombasa never allowed people carrying snacks, for this one, you are allowed to carry and to add on that the train has a long stopover at Sagana where you can catch a break, stretch as you buy “highlands snacks”, you know boiled maize and such highland foods.
A train ride is a good or as bad as the traveler, a train ride gives you a level of traveling freedom that you can convert to any sort of thing that you want to make the ride memorable.
Unfortunately, when I took the trip there was no electricity and this was a dejavu moment for me when I took the Mombasa lunatic express that had absolutely nothing apart from roaches for roommates. luckily, if you are traveling alone most gadgets nowadays can store charge for about 5hrs so you have about 2hrs to engage with anything around to get to Nanyuki.
At the end
Well, we have news that sometimes the train gets stuck and spend hours before its rescued. I would wish to create a whole argument about that, but then I remember there many more people who benefit from the train and would not complain if the train got stuck since they are safer there than in the rouge matatu industry which hike fares anytime they think and have no humanity.
I also think it’s only fair for anyone who takes the train for enjoyment purposes to let the actual people who benefit from the train complain.
My only plea would be for the corporation to increase the frequency of the train. At every stop so many people would alight and many more would come on board being a clear indication that it would assist so many people if the frequency was increased At the time of writing this, I already have a plan for The Train V. Am just hoping politics doesn’t spoil it from me before I take it.