The UK’S Daily Telegraph has listed Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which is christened the “Madaraka express”, among 13 most remarkable rail tours for 2019.

In an article titled, “Rail Journeys” The Telegraph reckons that Kenya’s new Standard Gauge Railway “provides the link between the coast and Amboseli and Tsavo West national parks for 3½ days of game drives”.

“The Maasai-inspired Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge has majestic views of Kilimanjaro, and the Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge has been designed to blend into the rugged savannah and overlooks a waterhole visited daily by herds of elephant and buffalo. The four nights in the lodges are flanked by a night in Mombasa,” the article reads.

The SGR distance between Nairobi and Mombasa is 472 kilometers and the passenger train travels at an average speed of 120 kilometers per hour.  The SGR ride from Mombasa to Nairobi takes between 4-5 hours.

Appearing 7th on the list of 13 most remarkable rail tours for 2019, Madaraka express has been named among Scotland’s Grand Tour,  Britain’s Flying Scotsman,  Sweden’s Inlandsbanan and is notably the only African rail featured on the list.

Currently, the Madaraka Express is charging Sh1,000 for the economy class and Sh3,000 first class.

President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the SGR passenger train in 2017 and took the maiden trip from Miritini, Mombasa, a day after he flagged off the cargo train in Port Riz.

At a cost of $3.2bn, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR is the biggest infrastructure project in Kenya since independence.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/rail-journeys/best-rail-tours/