Eight years after its launch, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is increasingly transforming travel, tourism and business along Kenya’s southern corridor, according to reports from Chinese media.
A report by China Daily says the railway has significantly changed how people move between Nairobi and Mombasa, while also boosting tourism and economic activity in towns located near major wildlife parks.
Industry players quoted in the report say the project, which initially served mainly as a transport link between the two cities, is now making it easier for travellers to reach popular wildlife destinations and is helping nearby towns benefit from increased visitor traffic.
The railway’s main passenger service, the Madaraka Express, operates along a 472-kilometre route between Nairobi and Mombasa. Since it began operating, travel time between the two cities has been cut to about five hours, compared to more than 10 hours by road.
The improved transport network has also made it easier for tourists to access wildlife destinations such as Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park, two of Kenya’s largest and oldest conservation areas.
“The improved connectivity has increased visitor movement to the parks and brought renewed activity to nearby towns including Voi and Mtito Andei, which serve as entry points to the parks,” says a hotel operator along the corridor.
For many visitors, the train journey itself has become part of the safari adventure.
“The line cuts across open countryside and sections of the Tsavo ecosystem, allowing passengers to see wildlife and rural landscapes during the trip,” says Philip Mwakio, a frequent traveller.
The SGR has become a popular travel option between Nairobi and Mombasa because it is faster, safer and often more convenient than road transport. The passenger trains offer economy-class coaches as well as first-class and premium-class options with reclining seats and additional onboard facilities.
Kenya Railways Corporation Managing Director Philip Mainga says demand for higher-end passenger services has been rising, especially among tourists travelling to wildlife parks. The trains operate on fixed schedules, helping travellers avoid the delays that are common on the busy Nairobi–Mombasa highway.
Passenger traffic has also grown at intermediate stations such as Voi and Mtito Andei. According to Kenya Railways, about 900 passengers now board or disembark at Voi each week.
The growing number of travellers has boosted business in surrounding towns, with taxi operators, hotels, tour companies and small traders increasingly serving visitors arriving by train.
At Voi Wildlife Lodge, the largest accommodation facility in Tsavo East, manager Stella Purity Mwakuluwa says the number of guests arriving through Voi station has risen since the railway started operating. The lodge provides vans to pick up visitors from the station.
“The property has 178 rooms, 25 manyatta-style tents and conference facilities that can host up to 600 people. Its sister facility, Man Eaters Camp, has also reported more visitors linked to the rail service,” she says.
Surjeet Singh Basil, director of Lion Hill Safari Lodge near the park’s main gate, says tourism linked to the railway has increased since the Madaraka Express began stopping at Voi just over three years ago.
Figures from Kenya Railways show that the Madaraka Express generated more than Ksh2 billion in revenue during the first half of 2025. This represents a 12 per cent increase from the Ksh1.85 billion recorded during the same period in 2024.
Speaking during events marking the railway’s eighth anniversary last year, Mainga said the SGR contributes between two and three per cent to Kenya’s gross domestic product and continues to influence logistics, travel and tourism along the Nairobi–Mombasa corridor.
