SGR Timetable 2026 Complete Guide

Quick View: SGR Timetable 2026

The SGR timetable in Kenya cov­ers dai­ly pas­sen­ger train ser­vices oper­at­ed by Kenya Rail­ways on the Stan­dard Gauge Rail­way line. The Madara­ka Express runs between Nairo­bi (Syoki­mau) and Mom­basa (Mir­i­ti­ni), with stops at Emali, Kib­wezi, Mti­to Andei, Voi, and Miasenyi. Morn­ing depar­ture from Nairo­bi is at 8:00 AM, arriv­ing Mom­basa by 1:20 PM. The return from Mom­basa departs at 8:00 AM, arriv­ing Nairo­bi by 1:30 PM. Econ­o­my class starts from KSh 1,000. Tick­ets can be booked online via the Kenya Rail­ways web­site or at sta­tion book­ing offices.

Introduction

If you have ever stood at a bus stop in Nairo­bi won­der­ing whether there is a faster, cheap­er, and more com­fort­able way to get to Mom­basa, you already know the answer. The Stan­dard Gauge Rail­way, pop­u­lar­ly called the SGR, changed the way Kenyans trav­el. But know­ing the SGR timetable — the actu­al depar­ture times, arrival times, sta­tions, and book­ing process — is what sep­a­rates a smooth trip from a stress­ful one.

Every week, thou­sands of Kenyans rely on the Madara­ka Express. Stu­dents head­ing to the Coast for hol­i­day, fam­i­lies vis­it­ing rel­a­tives, and busi­ness trav­ellers attend­ing ear­ly meet­ings all depend on accu­rate sched­ule infor­ma­tion. Yet many still miss trains because they did not check the SGR sched­ule in advance, or they show up at the wrong sta­tion.

This guide breaks down every­thing you need to know about the SGR timetable in Kenya in 2025. From cur­rent train times and tick­et prices to how to book your seat step by step, this is your com­plete ref­er­ence for stress-free SGR trav­el. Whether you are a first-time rid­er or a fre­quent pas­sen­ger, keep read­ing — there is some­thing use­ful here for you.

What Is the SGR Timetable?

The SGR timetable is the offi­cial sched­ule that shows when Kenya Rail­ways pas­sen­ger trains depart and arrive at each sta­tion along the Stan­dard Gauge Rail­way route. It cov­ers the Madara­ka Express — Kenya’s flag­ship pas­sen­ger train ser­vice — which con­nects Nairo­bi and Mom­basa through the Rift Val­ley and Coastal regions.

The SGR was launched on June 1, 2017, as part of Kenya’s Vision 2030 infra­struc­ture plan. It runs on a 472-kilo­me­tre track from Mom­basa to Nairo­bi, cut­ting trav­el time from over eight hours by road to rough­ly five and a half hours by train.

The timetable mat­ters because the SGR runs on a fixed sched­ule. Unlike mata­tus or bus­es that leave when full, SGR trains depart at spe­cif­ic times regard­less of how many pas­sen­gers are on board. If you miss your train, your tick­et may not be trans­fer­able to the next depar­ture.

Key SGR Route Details

Why Kenyans Need the SGR Timetable

Check­ing the SGR timetable before you trav­el is not option­al — it is essen­tial. Here is why it mat­ters for dif­fer­ent types of Kenyan trav­ellers:

• Stu­dents trav­el­ling from Nairo­bi uni­ver­si­ties to Mom­basa dur­ing semes­ter breaks need to book ear­ly because seats sell out fast, espe­cial­ly on Fri­days and pub­lic hol­i­days.
• Fam­i­lies plan­ning coastal hol­i­days need to know morn­ing vs after­noon depar­ture options to plan accom­mo­da­tion check-ins prop­er­ly.
• Busi­ness trav­ellers attend­ing morn­ing meet­ings in either city need the ear­li­est pos­si­ble depar­ture to cal­cu­late arrival times accu­rate­ly.
• Tour groups and safari vis­i­tors using con­nect­ing trans­port need timetable accu­ra­cy to coor­di­nate air­port trans­fers or onward game dri­ves.
• Res­i­dents of inter­me­di­ate towns like Voi and Mti­to Andei depend on the SGR sched­ule for reg­u­lar com­mut­ing, mar­ket days, and med­ical appoint­ments.

The Kenya Nation­al Bureau of Sta­tis­tics has con­sis­tent­ly shown that domes­tic trav­el costs are among the biggest house­hold bud­get con­cerns in Kenya. The SGR timetable helps house­holds plan around the most afford­able trav­el win­dows, since off-peak times often have bet­ter seat avail­abil­i­ty.

Types of SGR Train Services in Kenya

Madaraka Express Passenger Service

This is the pri­ma­ry SGR ser­vice for every­day trav­ellers. It offers two class­es — Econ­o­my and First Class — and runs dai­ly between Nairo­bi and Mom­basa. This is what most Kenyans use for hol­i­day and per­son­al trav­el. It is air-con­di­tioned, on-time, and far more pre­dictable than road trans­port.

SGR Cargo Services

Kenya Rail­ways also oper­ates car­go trains on the same SGR line. These car­ry goods between the Nairo­bi Inland Con­tain­er Depot and the Mom­basa port. Car­go ser­vices run on a sep­a­rate timetable from pas­sen­ger trains and are not avail­able to indi­vid­ual trav­ellers.

Nairobi Commuter Rail

Kenya Rail­ways also oper­ates the Nairo­bi com­muter rail ser­vice for short-dis­tance trav­el with­in the city. This is dif­fer­ent from the inter­ci­ty SGR. Do not con­fuse the two when check­ing sched­ules — they serve entire­ly dif­fer­ent pur­pos­es and use dif­fer­ent sta­tions.

SGR Extension to Naivasha

Kenya Rail­ways launched an exten­sion from Nairo­bi to Naivasha (Suswa), adding a new leg of the SGR jour­ney. This route runs through the scenic Rift Val­ley escarp­ment and is pop­u­lar among trav­ellers head­ing to the lake region, Maai Mahiu, or con­nect­ing onward to the west­ern coun­ties.

Current SGR Timetable 2025: Madaraka Express Schedule

Nairobi (Syokimau) to Mombasa (Miritini)

Mombasa (Miritini) to Nairobi (Syokimau)

Kenya Rail­ways may adjust depar­ture times for main­te­nance or sea­son­al changes. Always con­firm the cur­rent SGR timetable on the Kenya Rail­ways offi­cial web­site or at your near­est book­ing sta­tion before trav­el.

How to Access and Use the SGR Timetable Correctly

Check­ing the SGR timetable the right way saves time and avoids missed depar­tures. Use this check­list every time you plan to trav­el:

• Check the Kenya Rail­ways web­site at least 48 hours before trav­el, not on the morn­ing of your trip
• Con­firm your depar­ture is from Nairo­bi Syoki­mau, not Nairo­bi Cen­tral — many first-timers con­fuse the two
• Note that the Mom­basa SGR ter­mi­nus is Mir­i­ti­ni, not Mom­basa Cen­tral — bud­get time for trans­fer into town
• Down­load or screen­shot the con­firmed timetable in case you lose inter­net access on trav­el day
• Con­firm your trav­el class (Econ­o­my vs First Class) since these may use dif­fer­ent load­ing areas
• Arrive at the sta­tion at least 30 min­utes before depar­ture for doc­u­ment check­ing and board­ing
• Keep your book­ing con­fir­ma­tion — print­ed or dig­i­tal — acces­si­ble at the gate

Costs, Requirements, and Timelines for SGR Travel in Kenya

SGR Ticket Prices (2025)

Note: Prices are sub­ject to change. Chil­dren under three years trav­el free. Chil­dren aged three to eleven may qual­i­fy for dis­count­ed fares. Always con­firm cur­rent fares at the point of book­ing.

What You Need to Board the SGR

• A valid nation­al iden­ti­ty card (for adult Kenyan cit­i­zens)
• A pass­port (for for­eign nation­als)
• Your book­ing con­fir­ma­tion num­ber or print­ed tick­et
• For chil­dren: birth cer­tifi­cate or pass­port

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Book an SGR Ticket in Kenya

1. Vis­it the Kenya Rail­ways pas­sen­ger book­ing por­tal through eCit­i­zen Kenya or direct­ly at the Kenya Rail­ways web­site.
2. Select your ori­gin sta­tion — either Nairo­bi Syoki­mau or Mom­basa Mir­i­ti­ni.
3. Choose your des­ti­na­tion sta­tion and the date of trav­el.
4. Select the num­ber of pas­sen­gers — adults and chil­dren entered sep­a­rate­ly.
5. Choose your trav­el class: Econ­o­my or First Class.
6. Enter pas­sen­ger details includ­ing the full name and ID or pass­port num­ber for each trav­eller.
7. Con­firm your select­ed train depar­ture time from the avail­able SGR timetable options shown.
8. Pro­ceed to pay­ment. Accept­ed meth­ods include M‑Pesa, Visa, and Mas­ter­card.
9. Receive your book­ing con­fir­ma­tion via SMS or email and save or print it imme­di­ate­ly.
10. On trav­el day, arrive at the sta­tion at least 30 min­utes before depar­ture and car­ry the same ID used dur­ing book­ing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using the SGR

Going to the wrong sta­tion. Many first-time pas­sen­gers head to Nairo­bi Cen­tral Rail­way Sta­tion instead of Nairo­bi Syoki­mau. These are two entire­ly dif­fer­ent sta­tions. Syoki­mau is the SGR ter­mi­nus, locat­ed off Mom­basa Road near Jomo Keny­at­ta Inter­na­tion­al Air­port. Solu­tion: Con­firm your cor­rect sta­tion before leav­ing home and use a nav­i­ga­tion app to get there.

Book­ing at the last minute dur­ing peak sea­son. SGR seats sell out days in advance dur­ing school hol­i­days, East­er, Christ­mas, and long week­ends around pub­lic hol­i­days. Solu­tion: Book your SGR tick­et at least one week in advance dur­ing any high-traf­fic trav­el peri­od.

Ignor­ing the ID require­ment. Kenya Rail­ways requires a valid gov­ern­ment-issued ID for every pas­sen­ger over three years old. Trav­el­ling with­out one means you can­not board, no excep­tions. Solu­tion: Pack your nation­al ID or pass­port the night before trav­el, not on the morn­ing itself.

Mis­read­ing arrival vs depar­ture times. Some pas­sen­gers con­fuse a train’s arrival time at an inter­me­di­ate sta­tion with its depar­ture time from that sta­tion. These are dif­fer­ent. Solu­tion: Read the SGR timetable care­ful­ly and look specif­i­cal­ly for the depar­ture time at your board­ing sta­tion.

Assum­ing the train waits. The Madara­ka Express does not wait for late pas­sen­gers. Once board­ing clos­es, the train departs on time. Solu­tion: Always aim to be at the sta­tion at least 30 min­utes before your sched­uled depar­ture.

For­get­ting the Mir­i­ti­ni-to-town trans­fer time. Mom­basa SGR sta­tion is at Mir­i­ti­ni, about 15 kilo­me­tres from Mom­basa CBD. Get­ting into town takes an addi­tion­al 30 to 45 min­utes. Solu­tion: Fac­tor this trans­fer into your itin­er­ary, espe­cial­ly if you have hotel check-ins or onward con­nec­tions planned.

Future Updates and Trends in Kenya’s SGR

Kenya’s SGR net­work is still grow­ing. Sev­er­al devel­op­ments are worth know­ing about as a trav­eller plan­ning future trips.

The Naivasha SGR exten­sion is already oper­a­tional, and there are ongo­ing dis­cus­sions about extend­ing the line fur­ther towards Kisumu and even­tu­al­ly to the Ugan­da bor­der at Mal­a­ba. Accord­ing to Busi­ness Dai­ly Africa, Kenya has been work­ing with devel­op­ment part­ners on financ­ing for these inland exten­sions.

Dig­i­tal tick­et­ing is improv­ing. Kenya Rail­ways has been inte­grat­ing its plat­form more deeply with mobile mon­ey and gov­ern­ment dig­i­tal ser­vices, mak­ing online book­ing more reli­able for ordi­nary Kenyans who pre­fer not to vis­it book­ing offices in per­son.

Real-time train track­ing is a fea­ture many pas­sen­gers have request­ed. While not ful­ly pub­lic-fac­ing yet, inter­nal track­ing sys­tems are in place and SMS-based depar­ture alerts are expect­ed to become more wide­ly acces­si­ble.

Region­al con­nec­tiv­i­ty remains a pri­or­i­ty. The World Trav­el and Tourism Coun­cil has high­light­ed East Africa’s rail devel­op­ment as a key dri­ver of region­al tourism growth. Kenya’s SGR sits at the cen­tre of that expan­sion, and the con­nec­tion to Tan­za­nia and Ugan­da remains part of the long-term region­al vision.

IATA has not­ed that inte­grat­ed trans­port hubs — where air, rail, and road ser­vices work togeth­er — are the glob­al stan­dard for mod­ern trav­el economies. Kenya’s SGR devel­op­ment is aligned with this direc­tion, par­tic­u­lar­ly at the Nairo­bi and Mom­basa ter­mi­ni.

Poll Ques­tion: Have you ever missed an SGR train because you did not check the timetable in advance?

• A) Yes, it hap­pened to me once
• B) No, I always check ahead
• C) I have nev­er used the SGR
• D) I rely on some­one else to check for me

Poll Answer: Most fre­quent SGR trav­ellers report that the num­ber one avoid­able prob­lem is not check­ing the timetable ear­ly enough. Option A is the most com­mon­ly report­ed expe­ri­ence among first-time SGR users.

Frequently Asked Questions About the SGR Timetable

What time does the SGR train depart from Nairo­bi?

The Madara­ka Express departs from Nairo­bi Syoki­mau sta­tion at 8:00 AM dai­ly. Kenya Rail­ways may add extra depar­tures dur­ing peak sea­sons. Always check the Kenya Rail­ways book­ing plat­form for the most cur­rent sched­ule before you trav­el.

How long does the SGR take from Nairo­bi to Mom­basa?

The jour­ney takes approx­i­mate­ly five hours and thir­ty min­utes. The stan­dard 8:00 AM depar­ture from Nairo­bi arrives in Mom­basa by around 1:20 PM. This is sig­nif­i­cant­ly faster than road trav­el, which typ­i­cal­ly takes eight to twelve hours depend­ing on traf­fic and road con­di­tions.

Can I board the SGR at an inter­me­di­ate sta­tion like Voi or Mti­to Andei?

Yes. The Madara­ka Express makes sched­uled stops at Emali, Kib­wezi, Mti­to Andei, Voi, and Miasenyi. Res­i­dents of these towns can board or alight at their near­est sta­tion. You still need to book a tick­et in advance and car­ry valid ID.

How do I check the SGR timetable online?

Vis­it the Kenya Rail­ways pas­sen­ger book­ing por­tal through eCit­i­zen Kenya. The cur­rent timetable is dis­played dur­ing the book­ing process once you select your route and trav­el date. You can also call or vis­it your near­est SGR sta­tion book­ing office.

What is the dif­fer­ence between Econ­o­my and First Class on the SGR?

Econ­o­my class at KSh 1,000 for the Nairobi–Mombasa route has stan­dard seat­ing with good legroom and full air con­di­tion­ing. First Class at KSh 3,000 offers wider seats, more per­son­al space, a sep­a­rate car­riage, and a slight­ly more ele­vat­ed trav­el expe­ri­ence. Both class­es are gen­uine­ly com­fort­able for the five-and-a-half-hour jour­ney.

Can I get a refund if I miss my SGR train?

Kenya Rail­ways has a tick­et mod­i­fi­ca­tion and refund pol­i­cy, but con­di­tions apply. No-show tick­ets are gen­er­al­ly not auto­mat­i­cal­ly refund­ed. Con­tact Kenya Rail­ways cus­tomer ser­vice or vis­it the book­ing office as soon as pos­si­ble if you miss your depar­ture. Con­firm the cur­rent refund pol­i­cy direct­ly with Kenya Rail­ways when book­ing.

My Experience Travelling on the SGR

I have used the Madara­ka Express sev­er­al times for both leisure and work-relat­ed trav­el. The first time was when a group of us from Nairo­bi head­ed to Mom­basa for a coastal hol­i­day. We were a bit ner­vous because none of us had used it before, and two peo­ple in the group almost went to the wrong sta­tion.

What stood out most was how dif­fer­ent the expe­ri­ence was from road trav­el. At 8:00 AM, the train left on time — no delays, no wait­ing for the vehi­cle to fill up, no stops to pick up pas­sen­gers along the high­way. By mid­morn­ing, we were pass­ing through Tsa­vo, watch­ing ele­phants graz­ing in the dis­tance from the com­fort of an air-con­di­tioned car­riage. By ear­ly after­noon, we were already in Mom­basa.

The book­ing process took under ten min­utes online. The only hic­cup was that one per­son in our group had for­got­ten their ID and had to pull up a dig­i­tal copy on their phone, which thank­ful­ly worked that day. The les­son: always car­ry your phys­i­cal ID.

Since that first trip, I always check the SGR timetable at least a week in advance for any coast jour­ney. Econ­o­my class is my con­sis­tent choice because the seats are gen­uine­ly com­fort­able and the sav­ings are real. For fam­i­lies, stu­dents, or any­one who val­ues arriv­ing at the coast relaxed rather than road-weary, the SGR is the bet­ter option every time.

When I help clients plan their Kenyan trav­el itin­er­aries through Charm­ing Safariz, the SGR reg­u­lar­ly becomes the back­bone of the jour­ney. Clients who fol­low the timetable, book in advance, and arrive at the right sta­tion are always the ones who start their trips on the right note.

Key Takeaways

• The SGR timetable cov­ers dai­ly Madara­ka Express ser­vices between Nairo­bi Syoki­mau and Mom­basa Mir­i­ti­ni
• Stan­dard morn­ing depar­ture from both Nairo­bi and Mom­basa is 8:00 AM
• Trav­el time is approx­i­mate­ly five hours and thir­ty min­utes
• Econ­o­my class costs KSh 1,000 and First Class costs KSh 3,000 for the full Nairobi–Mombasa route
• Inter­me­di­ate stops include Emali, Kib­wezi, Mti­to Andei, Voi, and Miasenyi
• Always book tick­ets in advance, espe­cial­ly dur­ing school hol­i­days and pub­lic hol­i­day week­ends
• A valid nation­al ID or pass­port is required for every pas­sen­ger to board
• The Mom­basa ter­mi­nus at Mir­i­ti­ni is 15 km from the CBD — plan for trans­fer time
• A Naivasha SGR exten­sion is already oper­a­tional, with future plans toward Kisumu and Mal­a­ba
• Check the offi­cial Kenya Rail­ways por­tal via eCit­i­zen for the lat­est sched­ule before every trip

Conclusion

The SGR timetable is your most impor­tant plan­ning tool for a smooth train jour­ney in Kenya. When you know exact­ly when the train leaves, which sta­tions it stops at, and how to secure your seat in advance, trav­el­ling by Madara­ka Express becomes one of the most enjoy­able ways to move across the coun­try.

Kenya’s rail infra­struc­ture is grow­ing, and the SGR remains cen­tral to that growth. Whether you are head­ing to the coast for a hol­i­day, trav­el­ling for busi­ness, or con­nect­ing through towns like Voi or Mti­to Andei, check­ing the cur­rent sched­ule before you go makes all the dif­fer­ence between a relaxed jour­ney and an avoid­able headache.

Have you used the SGR recent­ly? Share your expe­ri­ence in the com­ments below. If this guide answered a ques­tion you had before your first trip, let oth­ers know in the com­ment sec­tion. And if you are plan­ning a Kenyan tour that includes the SGR, Charm­ing Safariz is ready to help you put togeth­er the per­fect itin­er­ary.

Plan Your Kenya Journey with Charming Safariz

Charm­ing Safariz is the best tour and trav­el com­pa­ny in Kenya for both local and inter­na­tion­al vis­i­tors. Whether you need SGR tick­ets, safari pack­ages, coastal get­aways, or ful­ly cus­tomised tour itin­er­aries, the team at Charm­ing Safariz han­dles every­thing so you can focus on enjoy­ing the expe­ri­ence.

From Nairo­bi to Mom­basa by SGR, from Maa­sai Mara to Diani Beach, Charm­ing Safariz brings deep local knowl­edge and the con­nec­tions to make your Kenya trip seam­less. They proud­ly sup­port the tourism vision cham­pi­oned by Mag­i­cal Kenya and align with glob­al trav­el stan­dards recog­nised by the World Trav­el and Tourism Coun­cil. Wildlife des­ti­na­tions along the SGR cor­ri­dor, includ­ing Tsa­vo East and Tsa­vo West, are man­aged under con­ser­va­tion guide­lines set by the Kenya Wildlife Ser­vice.

Request a free quote today — no oblig­a­tion, no hid­den costs.

Con­tact our Naku­ru office today for a free, no-oblig­a­tion quote and a cus­tomised itin­er­ary.

What­sApp: +254 714 236 664

Email: enquiry@charmingsafariz.com

Office: Naku­ru, Kenya

Sources and References

• Kenya Rail­ways Cor­po­ra­tion — Offi­cial SGR timetable and book­ing
• eCit­i­zen Kenya — Online gov­ern­ment ser­vices includ­ing train tick­et book­ing
• Kenya Nation­al Bureau of Sta­tis­tics — Domes­tic trav­el and trans­port sta­tis­tics
• Busi­ness Dai­ly Africa — SGR exten­sion and infra­struc­ture report­ing
• Mag­i­cal Kenya — Kenya tourism and trav­el infor­ma­tion
• World Trav­el and Tourism Coun­cil — Glob­al tourism and rail devel­op­ment trends
• IATA — Inter­na­tion­al air and trans­port inte­gra­tion stan­dards
• Kenya Wildlife Ser­vice — Wildlife con­ser­va­tion along the SGR cor­ri­dor
• Nation Africa — Kenya news and SGR devel­op­ments