Kenya Railways has announced remarkable progress in the restoration of the Uplands–Kijabe–Longonot Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) line, which was severely damaged by the April 2024 flash floods that swept through the Mai Mahiu area in Nakuru County.
The floods, caused by heavy rainfall and washaways, disrupted rail operations along the crucial corridor, affecting both freight and passenger services.
According to the corporation, rehabilitation works are now over 70% complete, with full restoration expected by December 2025. Upon completion, the line will pave the way for the resumption of the Kisumu Safari Train, a key passenger service linking western Kenya to the central region.
The project is part of ongoing efforts to revive critical rail links between Kenya’s central and western regions an essential route for the transport of goods and people. It also aims to enhance regional trade, with freight operations set to resume and improve cargo movement to Uganda, South Sudan, and beyond, reinforcing Kenya’s position as a gateway to East and Central Africa.
The restoration works include the construction of multiple-cell culverts, embankment stabilization, drainage reconstruction, and infrastructure upgrades designed to improve the line’s resilience against future extreme weather events.
“This restoration underscores the Corporation’s strategic commitment to revitalize and sustain Kenya’s Meter Gauge Railway network as a dependable and complementary mode of transport within the national and regional rail ecosystem,” Kenya Railways said in a statement.
The April 2024 tragedy left 51 people dead and several others displaced in Mai Mahiu, after investigations revealed the disaster was triggered by the bursting of a water body that had formed due to a blocked culvert beneath the railway line.
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