The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) ferried 19,502 people and 421,745 tons of cargo between Kenya’s capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa in July following the resumption of passenger services after a hiatus occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, new data released on Tuesday showed.
The passenger train service resumed operations on July 13 after nearly three months of suspension following restriction of movement in and out of Nairobi and Mombasa.
The data from the Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) indicated the rising demand for the service, with the train ferrying 19,502 people in July, portending good times for Kenya’s tourism sector at the Coast.
Similarly, in July, the use of freight service surged as the train ferried 421,745 tons of cargo. The surge signals a rise in business activities, according to the KRC.
The passenger service was suspended on April 7 at a time Kenyans had slowed down traveling for fear of the virus and awareness was low. SGR freight services have continued despite the pandemic.
Afristar Railway Operation Company, the operator of the SGR service, has taken a number of measures to curb the spread of the virus, including checking passengers’ temperatures, sanitizing them, and enhancing social distance.
The Chinese-built SGR has been an important line in the movements of people and goods and driving Kenya’s economic growth.
