Operated by Kenya railway since mid-2017, Madaraka Express, or the SGR, as it is popularly known, has two types of trains; the Intercity and inter county train. The Intercity Train is the express service between Nairobi Terminus and Mombasa terminus while the Inter-County Train will make stops at the intermediate stations namely; Athi River, Emali, Kibwezi, Mtito Andei, Maisenyi, and Voi.
The Madaraka Express has become the preferred mode of travel by a lot of people and therefore advisable that you book your sgr ticket in advance. The Madaraka express train tickets are open to book up to 60 days in advance.
The train service has three ticket classes, Premium, First class, and Economy class.
Premium class comes with a dedicated lounge which is a comfortable waiting area with complimentary coffee as you await boarding. The seating is a compartmented 1+1 configuration featuring reclining leather seats with ample legroom. Other features include charging ports, an entertainment system with a variety of movies and music, onboard meals, and a cash bar.
The first class is made up of a 2+2 per row configuration across the car width. First-class passengers, also have access to a restaurant coach which offers a basic choice of snacks and drinks.
The Economy class has a 3+2 per row configuration across the car width with 2 rows facing each other and a tiny table in between. Economy class passengers can purchase snacks or drinks from the catering cart which is wheeled between the coaches at various times in between the journey.
Currently, there are two express trains and 1 inter-county service operating daily between Nairobi and Mombasa. See the train schedule below.
The Madaraka SGR train tickets can be booked through either;
The Madaraka Express offers two ticket categories – First Class and Economy, with the fares prices as listed below for the express service;
FIRST CLASS
ECONOMY CLASS
Please note that when booking your Madaraka train ticket on the Kenya Railways website, Mpesa mobile money payment is the only acceptable means to pay at check-out. For travelers without access to the Mpesa mobile money service, please get in touch with us to book and pay for your tickets via PayPal/Card.
Get in touch with us through the contact form at the bottom of this page, email, or Phone/WhatsApp, and let us know the route, preferred date of travel, and time.
Once we confirm availability we will ask you to send the payment along with the passenger details. Upon receipt of your payment, we will purchase the tickets and send you the e-ticket details along with the local phone number, both of which you will require to print the tickets at the station before or on the day of travel.
We charge an extra $10 per ticket facilitation fee for economy and 1st class tickets and $15 for premium tickets for the card payment option. This will cover the money transfer fees between PayPal and Mpesa, Mpesa transaction fees, and our fees.
If you need SGR train tickets as part of a safari holiday package booked with us, we book the tickets at no extra cost.
Cancellation and Rescheduling requests can be done forty-eight hours prior to the departure time indicated on the ticket. Cancellation or rescheduling is done over the counter at any of the SGR passanger service stations
SGR Ticket refunds shall be subject to a 30% fee of the ticket cost. No refunds will be done for damaged or defaced tickets.
Rescheduling a ticket will attract a 10% fee of the ticket cost.
Unfortunately, you cannot transfer a ticket from one passenger to another.