Kenya advises travelers to arrive one hour before the departure of the Madaraca Express train.

Written by Mohamed Salem

Kenya Railways Corporation has announced changes to the arrival times of Madaraca Express passengers and urged all Madaraca Express passengers to arrive at departure stations at least one hour before the scheduled departure time.

This is due to disruptions caused by persistent heavy rains and widespread traffic jams across the country.

Kenya Railways said in a statement that “due to ongoing heavy rains and traffic congestion, passengers are advised to arrive at the departure station at least one hour before the departure time stated on their tickets.”.

Travel procedures on Kenyan trains

The authority explained that this step aims to ensure a smooth and comfortable experience during ticket purchases, security checks, and boarding the train.

Security checks, ticketing and boarding the train usually take between 30 and 60 minutes at all Standard Rail Grading (SGR) stations across Kenya.

During peak times, the screening process alone can take up to 30 minutes, making early arrival essential for travelers.

Printing paper tickets, available at stations for travelers without advance reservations, can take a long time, with queues that can be long during peak hours, meaning that latecomers may miss their trains altogether.

Boarding closes early, with the last call announced 11 minutes before departure, and platform doors close 10 minutes beforehand, so arriving early may be beneficial for travelers during the current rainy season in Kenya.

Floods and traffic jams in Kenya

This warning comes at a time when Kenya is suffering from floods and traffic jams on the main roads leading to train stations, making it more difficult for passengers to arrive on time for their journeys.

This also comes at a time when major highways and vital infrastructure across Kenya have been destroyed, prompting the Kenyan Roads Authority to close key routes such as the Iten-Kabarnet road, which frequently experiences heavy traffic congestion.

Heavy rains have flooded homes and killed two people so far, according to data from the Kenyan Red Cross, prompting the government to task the Kenyan Defense Forces with leading search, rescue and evacuation operations in the worst-affected areas of Kenya.

As heavy rains continued, various transport authorities in Kenya issued warnings to drivers to be careful while driving.

The Kenyan Meteorological Service predicted that the rains would continue for an extended period and urged residents in low-lying areas to take precautions.