“Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
Oh, regret. The thought alone pricks. One of the greatest human fears is having to say “I wish I knew” — especially when the opportunity to do otherwise was presented to us.
Just this past week, I had the golden opportunity to travel on the SGR train from Nairobi to Mombasa and back. And boy, what a trip it was. I failed to do my homework sufficiently like I always do on most strip and thus paid dearly for it. But you don’t have to regret like I did.
Following are some things that I wish I knew before embarking on the SGR trip and pray that you too take into consideration before your book your ticket:
1. The commuter train from Railways to Nairobi SGR Terminus departs at 6:10 am
When the SGR train services were first introduced in 2017, the Mombasa bound inter – county train used to depart the Nairobi Syokimau Terminus at 9:00 am. As at the writing of this post, it departs at 8:00 am. The impact therefore was that the commuter train that connects passengers from Nairobi Railway station to the Nairobi Syokimau SGR station was rescheduled and now departs at 6:10 am. Previously it used to depart at 7:00 am. So by the time I got to Railways Nairobi station at 6:30 am, I found that the train had already left.
What I would have done differently: Check the Madaraka Express website for periodic updates to the train schedules. You should do the same too.
2. The commuter train that transports passengers from Nairobi SGR Terminus to Nairobi Railway Station only waits 10 minutes from when the SGR arrives from Mombasa.
So far, I only know of two institutions in Kenya that are time conscious and keep time to a T: my former employer, FSD Kenya, and Kenya Railways SGR.
One thing I learned on this SGR trip is that both the SGR trains and the CBD bound commuter trains are very time conscious. What that means therefore is that you must find your way to the termini way in advance of your departure time. And take note of Nairobi traffic jams!
To get into Nairobi CBD on arrival from Mombasa and on to the Nairobi Terminus for instance, I chose to use Kenya Railways’ commuter train. By the time I got off the train and down 2 sets of escalators and on to the train, its doors remained open for like only 3 minutes before it closed.
Please note that this transfer train waits for exactly 10 minutes only after the SGR train arrives at the Syokimau Terminus. What this means therefore is that you MUST exit the SGR train and find your way to the Railways bound train immediately the SGR stops. Blink for one second and you will miss the train. I witnessed hundreds of passengers miss the train by a whisker. And its’ not like the train left after the doors closed. We waited for a further close to 20 minutes for the conductors to collect the Kshs 50 bob fare before the train left the station. Seriously. That was enough time for those locked outside to get it.
3. Keep your train tickets with you throughout your journey.
In addition to scanning the tickets for entry and exit into the SGR waiting bays, there were like 70 additional times when we had to show the train tickets between Nairobi and Mombasa and back. DO. NOT. LOOSE. YOUR. TRAIN. TICKET. Until you get home.
4. Do not delete the payment notification SMS you receive from SGR
Once you complete your ticket payment for the SGR ticket via M-PESA, the SGR system will send you a confirmation SMS to the number you used to make paymentwith ticket and booking details. DO. NOT. DELETE. THIS. SMS! You will need the details on that message to print your SGR train ticket at the terminus.
5. Enter passenger names on the booking platform exactly as they are on the ID/Passport
Make sure that the name on you enter at the time of booking exactly matches the name on the passenger’s passport or ID card. There are like 100 times where the SGR officers will check your ticket to confirm that it matches with your ID. You don’t want to mess up here!
6. Don’t bother carrying alcohol on your trip. It will be taken away.
Right before you even enter into the SGR terminus building, you will be subjected to like 5 different searches. The first search is by 2 cute dogs. Then your run your luggage through an electronic search like those they have at airports, then a human being, then another 7. Anyway, I’m exaggerating about the 7. Seriously though, after the 2 dogs search you, your luggage will be scanned electronically again and if you’re carrying alcohol it will be taken away. I was curious as to what happens if found with alcohol and the guards mentioned that they will make arrangements as to how you get it on your way back. Whatever, just leave the alcohol at Kenya Breweries and drink Del Monte instead!
7. Carry some packed food/snacks.
This is especially important if you’re traveling on the inter county train that leaves very early in the morning and/or if your’re traveling with kids. Although they provide paid food service on the SGR trains, sometimes it’s best to carry some of your own. I didn’t buy any of the food on there but it was kinda pricey from what I hear. Price is relative though.
8. Prepare adequately for about 5 to 6 hours of travel exclusive of on-boarding time
The travel time you spend on the train, beside the preparation to actually get onto the termini and onboarding, is 5 hours for the Express train and 6 hours for the inter county time. That’s a lot of time. Add to the fact that the trains can be VERY noisy, you need to adequately prepare for your travel. Besides, the train booking system has no option for selecting seats. Thus, you will very easily find yourself sitting with total strangers, which can be a stretch for most people.
Some tips to adequately prepare you for the SGR journey include:
- Carrying ear plugs to cut out the noise if noise bothers you.
- It could also mean carrying a book to read if noise is not an issue. I was fortunate to have carried a book as I’m least bothered by what goes on around me when I have an interesting book.
- Carry board games to keep you busy. I saw some passengers playing cards while others were playing chess. Its really up to you.
Well, now you know and I guess you’re much more than I was for your SGR train journey.
Have you traveled on the SGR train before? Do you have any additional tips for those planning to travel on the SGR for the first time? Share with us in the comments below.
