For centuries, railways have remained one of the most effective means of transporting goods and services worldwide. This has led to widespread adoption by global communities despite the growth of other much faster means of transport, such as road and air transport. In Kenya, railway transport has grown tremendously since independence. Today, Kenya has a modern Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that has been fully operational since 2017. For travellers around the country, SGR Booking has been one of the biggest headaches.
How can one successfully book a ticket and travel by SGR? Here is all you need to know about booking by SGR.
SGR booking of tickets can be done online, directly at the railway stations, or via its USSD *639#. In both online and USSD Code ticket booking, payments are easily made via mobile money platforms like M-Pesa. Irrespective of the method used, you should choose the most convenient mode of SGR booking TO to limit disruptions.
How To Do SGR Booking Online
SGR Booking can be done online by following the process below
- Visit metickets.krc.co.ke
- On top of the homepage, navigate to ‘Madaraka Express – Online Booking’ and select the SGR train type you would like to travel in.
- Fill the ‘FROM’ and ‘TO’ sections with your departure point and destination, respectively.
- Give your departure date and hit ‘Book a Train’ to see scheduled SGR rides on the selected day.
- On the new page, add your passenger(s) details and choose coach type as either First or Economy class, then click ‘Book a Train’ to proceed with SGR online booking.
- Supply other required booking information and enter your phone number to pay the displayed cost of travel.
- Confirm the train ticket reservation details and click on ‘Pay Now’ to make the required SGR fare.
- A prompt will be sent to your phone. Enter your M-Pesa PIN to confirm the transaction, and wait for the transaction to be validated on the KRC platforms.
For those travelling from the capital to Mombasa, the total time distance taken is about 4 hours. This is less than half the total time taken when travelling by road. The train’s ability to ferry large numbers of people and heavy cargo has been lauded as a smart way to reduce carbon emissions.
How To Do SGR Booking Using USSD Code *639#
To book SGR (Madaraka Express) tickets using USSD code *639#, follow the steps outlined below:
- Dial *639# on your Safaricom mobile phone.
- Select the desired language (English or Swahili) from the options provided.
- Choose the “Book Ticket” option from the menu.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to enter the necessary information, such as the train type (Express or Inter-County), starting station, destination, travel date, and coach type.
- Enter passenger details, including full names, ID/passport numbers, and contact information.
- Proceed to make the payment using M-Pesa, usually by entering your mobile money PIN.
Once the booking is successfully validated on the KRC payments platform, you will receive a confirmation message containing the booking reference number. You will then see your ticket number, a 25 digit serial number, and seat number with other trip details like the travel date, route, and train type. This applies to both locals and foreigners with an M-pesa account.
Additionally, foreigners without an M-Pesa account or Safaricom line who wish to use the SGR upon arrival in Kenya can also do so via the below process.
How To Do SGR Booking – For Foreigners
For foreigners, SGR booking can be done online but you need to have a Safaricom line and M-Pesa in order to pay for the ticket. A foreigner can get a Safaricom SIM card at the airport upon arrival and register for mPesa at the same time. You’ll need to show your passport to get the SIM Card. mPesa is extremely useful in Kenya, and the most popular mode of payment for businesses and individuals – accounting for more than 93% market share.
If you do not have a Safaricom line and mPesa, there are local agents that will book a ticket for you and also ferry you to the station for a small fee. You can usually do this a couple of days in advance, except during holidays and other peak times when human traffic is astronomically high.
If you want to do it before you arrive in Kenya, you can utilize travel agents and tour operators who will book tickets on your behalf and have everything set before you arrive.
Constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), SGR operates from two main termini – Nairobi and Mombasa Terminus – alongside seven other smaller stations in Mtito Andei, Voi, Athi River, Emali, Mariakani, Miasenyi and Kibwezi.
Kenya is still growing its high-speed rail network, and so far, the SGR is its most developed rail network, with a total length of about 480km. Its commercial trains travel at top speeds of 120km/h and can accommodate more than 1000 people per train trip along its Mombasa – Nairobi routes.
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