President William Ruto's administration has revealed plans to include more stopovers for the Madaraka Express Passenger Service train using the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
Through the Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, the Kenya administration indicated that it is pushing for the introduction of a stopover at Voi at night.
In a statement, Mutua noted that he would write to Kenya Railways to introduce a night stop in Voi. He argued that the decision to bypass Voi was detrimental to its economy.
"I also expressed concern over Kenya Railways’ (SGR) decision to bypass Voi as a station for passenger trains to stop at night and allow passengers to refresh and visit the town. I committed to writing to Kenya Railways to reconsider this decision, as it negatively impacts Voi’s economy," Mutua stated.
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He however did not explain what happened to the Kenya Railways directive issued on Sunday, January 8, 2023, which indicated that the Nairobi-Mombasa and Mombasa-Nairobi Madaraka Express train will from February 1, 2023, have a stopover in Voi.
In that notice, Kenya Railways announced that the Madaraka train would pause for a five-minute break in Voi before continuing on the journey.
"The 1500 hours Madaraka Express Passenger Service train will now make a stopover at Voi Station effective February 1. Passengers from the Mombasa and Nairobi Termini can board and alight the train at the Voi station.
"The Mombasa to Nairobi afternoon express train will now arrive at Voi at 4.38 pm and depart at 4.43 pm while the Nairobi train will arrive at 6,48 pm and depart at 6.53 p,m," the Kenya Railways announced then.
Nonetheless, CS further explained that the residents would be trained to tap into the growing tourism market enabled by SGR services transiting through the region.
"Furthermore, to boost the local economy, my ministry will ensure full participation by local communities in project tendering processes. We will also provide training to local tour guides, equipping them with the necessary skills to enhance visitor experiences," Mutua added.
