Kenya Railways has dismissed reports that 10 out of the 11 Spanish trains purchased during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure broke down and are no longer operational.
In a statement, Kenya Railways (KR) management refuted the story that appeared in Nation Media’s Weekly Review magazine on Sunday, August 11, 2024, regarding Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) operating under the Nairobi Commuter Rail (NCR) service.
“Contrary to the story, the eleven DMUs acquired by KR in 2020 are fully operational and in good condition. The DMUs, which operate on the meter gauge railway lines, run daily as per schedule,” the statement read in part.
Kenya Railways clarified that it undertakes regular maintenance on the DMUs, as well as other locomotives and coaches, to ensure the safety and comfort of customers at all times.
The management noted that it is standard procedure to recall and detach locomotives and coaches, including the DMUs, for routine maintenance.
This maintenance is conducted at the Nairobi Railway Central workshops.
Kenya Railways explained that the DMUs were initially scheduled to operate along the Nairobi-Syokimau and Embakasi routes when they began operations.
However, due to the high number of customers on the Syokimau route, the company reassigned the DMUs to serve the Embakasi route and provided a high-capacity train for the Syokimau route.
“The acquisition of the DMUs was in line with the Kenya Railways Commuter Rail Masterplan, which aims to revitalize the Nairobi Commuter Rail service,” KR stated.
“The DMUs have been functional and continue to address the immediate actions identified under the Masterplan for the provision of reliable, safe, and comfortable modern rail transport services.”
Also Read: Kenya Railways Shares Safety Tips for Passengers
Kenya Railways Phase Two Plans
The company noted that the successful implementation of Phase One of the Masterplan has led to increased demand for the commuter service.
Also, KR explained that it is in the process of implementing Phase Two of the Masterplan under the Nairobi Railway City Project.
This phase involves the purchase of new high-capacity Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMUs) with a seating capacity of 1,200 passengers, double the capacity of the existing DMUs, among other improvements.
According to the Railways corporation, the DEMUs are an eight-car set comprising motorized and non-motorized units that can be detached into subsets of lower capacity.
Also Read: Kenya Railways Announces Changes in Payment of Train Services
Ethical Journalism
The Company emphasized that the reports were not factual and urged journalists to prioritize consultations through the official channels before publishing such news stories.
“While Kenya Railways appreciates the reporter’s interest in informing the public, it is evident that the information presented is not a factual representation of the railway’s standard operating procedures,” the company said.
“Further consultation, as required by good journalism ethics, was indeed necessary through the official Kenya Railways communication channels.”
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
