NAIROBI,Kenya Dec 2-Kenya Railways has announced the addition of a new Madaraka Express Passenger train to accommodate the expected surge in holiday travel along the Nairobi–Mombasa route.
The extra train will operate daily from December 8, 2025, to January 5, 2026, a period when passenger numbers traditionally rise sharply as Kenyans travel for Christmas, New Year festivities, and family gatherings.
In a statement , Kenya Railways said the move is intended to relieve pressure on existing services and offer more flexibility to travellers.
“We have introduced an additional Madaraka Express Passenger train to support the increased travel demand this festive season The service will run from 8th December 2025 to 5th January 2026 to ensure more passengers are accommodated and travel disruptions are minimized,” the corporation said.
According to the schedule, the additional train will depart from Nairobi at 9:40am, arrive in Voi at 1:35pm, and proceed to Mombasa, where it is expected to arrive at 3:55pm.
For the return leg, the train will always leave Mombasa at 4:30pm, stop in Voi at 6:15pm and arrive in Nairobi at 10:55 pm.
Earlier,The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) management announced that all premium class passenger trains are fully booked until February 2026.
In October , SGR Managing Director Philip Mainga said that the overwhelming number of people seeking to travel to the coast through SGR will force the management to seek additional coaches, especially in the premium class.
Furthermore, Mainga said that management will consider introducing special trains to transport travellers to the coast this festive season, similar to the one that has transported Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) members to Mombasa to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
“The demand for this premium class is high, so we are now going to order more coaches and equipment to ensure that everyone is accommodated. And for your information, we are booked until February,” Mainga said.
“We are fully booked for Christmas; we do not have any seats, but we are willing to run special trains and ensure that Kenyans go to Mombasa and enjoy themselves and come back,” he added.
It is not the first time the SGR is being forced to make such an adjustment to facilitate travel between Nairobi and Mombasa during the holiday season.
Last year, the Kenya Railways announced the introduction of a special SGR train that operated during the 2024 holiday season along the Nairobi-Mombasa Route.