Kenya Railways managing director Philip Mainga addressing the press at Gilgil Railway station in Nakuru County on June 2, 2026.Mainga said the locomotive commuting along the Nairobi - Gilgil - Ol Kalou - Nyahururu metre gauge railway will officially start its operations today.
"Today is a great day for us in Kenya Railways and the country at large. We are today starting our operations for this line that has been dormant for about 46 years," Mainga said.
He said the line had been revived by Kenya Railways at a cost of Sh500 million.
Mainga addressed the press at Gilgil Railway Station in Nakuru County a few minutes before the train took off for Nyahururu in Laikipia County, its final destination at exactly 8.00 am on Tuesday.
Tourism and Wildlife CS Rebecca Miano is expected to officially launch the corridor later in the day.
"We have revived this line from here where we are, Gilgil to Nyahururu, which is about 78 kilometres. We cover several stations, the main ones being this, Gilgil, where we have built a new one and developed as well as in Ol Kalou and Nyahururu. Both the Ol Kalou and Nyahururu railway stations are newly built," Mainga said.
The commuter train will, according to Mainga, transport passengers from Nairobi to Nyahururu three times a week. Mainga said the government is committed to reviving the entire railway system in Kenya.
He said the revival works of the Nyahururu line began a year ago to make it operational after being dormant since 1980.
The managing director said they had completed rehabilitation of some stations and construction of new ones.
"Today, we are starting our operations officially. We have done two trials, and I can assure you that the line is firm, strong, and for the first time in history, already as yesterday, we moved 1000 tonnes of fertilisers from Nairobi to Ol Kalou National Cereals and Produce Board stores. This is an agricultural area, hence fertilisers are key inputs," Mainga said.
He said the cargo trains would deliver fertilisers to the region in good time to allow farmers to plant early as expected of them.
Mainga said they had several orders from corporate companies to transport their produce from Nairobi to Gilgil, Ol Kalou and Nyahururu towns through the railway line.
He said the challenge of transporting agricultural produce and inputs between Nairobi and Nyahururu had become a thing of the past.
"Moving a container from Mombasa to Nyahururu has been costly and time-consuming. The train will reduce the costs of moving the containers as well as the time. They will pick them in Mombasa for direct transport to Ol Kalou or Nyahururu. Factories that do value addition in these areas will equally have their products transported easily, faster and affordably," Mainga said.
"We have provided alternative transport. Nairobi to Nyahururu will cost Sh600 as fare. The train has enough space to allow passengers to travel with their goods at the same time. It will transport 1,500 passengers in a trip, 150 seated passengers in a wagon," Mainga said.
He urged all Kenyans and those who live along the Nairobi - Nyahururu corridor and its neighbourhoods to use the medium gauge railway services. Mainga, however, noted that cargo trains will be operating on the route on a daily basis. It will transport 5000 tonnes of cargo daily.
