SGR train ride great but there are things that need fixing

What you need to know:

  • As we pulled away from the platform at 8.59am – a minute early – the staff and crew who had taken care of us all stood like soldiers and waved us off.

  • There were no jolts as we moved and the train quickly glided into optimal speed.

  • The only sound was the radio playing music.

  • The entire journey was a real reminder of what a stunning country Kenya is.

Even at 8am, Mombasa Road bustled with lorries, covered in a layer dust from the surrounding industries. This accentuated the gleaming new building that stared out over Syokimau – Nairobi’s new standard gauge railway station. It looks like something out of a 1980s science fiction movie – in a good way. Its large windows and curved, sleek edges were determined to prove that this is part of a new East African infrastructural feat, a truly modern railway.

7,000 passengers had taken a trip on the railway in its first week of operation, and without an online ticketing system to book ahead, I’d decided to send someone to buy my ticket the day before. It was a wise decision too. The tickets had already sold out by the time I got there and a small crowd of disappointed would-be travellers had gathered outside.

The building is impressive, as are the people determined to serve you inside of it. Unlike the usual lost feeling of most stations and airports in Africa, impeccably dressed hosts and hostesses usher you professionally through to the waiting area. Their image is reminiscent of a captain and his flight attendants – perfectly coifed, outfits tailored to fit and with their hair neatly tucked into caps.

The crew ushered us through security checks and into a large waiting hall. A gigantic digital train schedule board proudly, and quite comically, displayed its single journey: Nairobi to Mombasa, 9am. At the moment there’s only one daily trip from Nairobi to Mombasa (and Mombasa to Nairobi) though rumour has it that the train is expected to make additional trips subject to demand.

TEETHING ISSUES

Waiting to board, the teething issues revealed themselves. There’s nowhere in the waiting area to buy refreshments and there was no running water. This meant that the toilets smelled like the Nairobi River in the dry season – a mix of festering turd with a chemical edge. As the time ticked by I was convinced we wouldn’t leave according to schedule. But finally, at about 8.20am, they announced the boarding. The new service hasn’t yet put a boarding system into place and most of the train’s 1,200 passengers had started to cram themselves close to the access gates. The ever-cool hosts, assisted by a couple of Chinese associates, were there though to ensure passengers were able to figure out how to scan their tickets and go through.

By 8.45am a hostess, wearing a different airline crew outfit, had welcomed me on board the train and I was sitting in my well-cushioned first-class seat. I should add that I’d taken a look through the window at economy and it looked just as comfortable with rows of three or two seats. Like excited children, we were all looking round, taking photographs and playing with the chairs to see what they could do. They reclined which was great – but even better, they could swivel and face the opposite direction. This means a group could turn their chairs around to socialise on the journey. The toilet was spotless, and was kept that way throughout the journey – though, due to narrow pipes, it has the awkward rule of putting the toilet paper in a small bin provided and not flushing it. There was also a small digital notice board at the end of the carriage which displayed interesting bits of information like the train speed and outside temperature.

WELCOMING US

The hostess came down the aisle welcoming us on board and had people in their seats in no time. Everything done with a smile and a patience that you’re not typically used to in our service industry. A small earpiece in her ear added to her professional look as she quietly coordinated with her colleagues. A lot of consideration had gone into a seamless service – she even had a small black cushion that she would place on the seats to stand on, ensuring that her feet didn’t touch your space while she adjusted bags in the overhead storage.

I was lucky to be sitting next to a large window. As we pulled away from the platform at 8.59am – a minute early – the staff and crew who’d taken care of us all stood like soldiers and waved us off. There weren’t any jolts as we moved and the train quickly glided into optimal speed. The only sound was the radio playing music. It was nice to hear some local artists being played as well as international music – a great opportunity to promote them.

A small food and drink cart came around offering a small selection of snacks and drinks. These weren’t nearly enough for us all so, for now, I would advise carrying some food on board. Unfortunately, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua was riding in the carriage next to mine so I wasn’t able to go through to access the dining area further down the train.

THE LANDSCAPE

It had been years since I’d taken the old railway and it was brilliant seeing the landscape roll past. The urban sprawl disappeared giving way to fences, the occasional house and the first signs of wildlife - a few wildebeest, zebra, ostriches, giraffes and antelopes. By this stage if I’d been driving on Mombasa road I would’ve probably have had about four near death experiences courtesy of the reckless bus and truck drivers.

As we passed each of the stations a few workers, both Kenyan and Chinese, in full airline regalia, stood stoically on the platform and saluted the train as we passed. A hostess would also announce interesting facts about the area – for Emali, we were told that it’s known as the town that “doesn’t sleep”, popular with Mombasa’s truck drivers. When we passed Voi we were told that it was named after a slave chief calleed Kivoi who settled near Voi River around the 17th century.

The entire journey was a real reminder of what a stunning country Kenya is. The impressive Chyulu Hills, beautiful valleys and savannah. But it was around Voi that we saw some truly spectacular sights: forests of baobabs that must have been decades old and herds of elephants! In total I must have seen about 30 elephants that morning. They didn’t seem bothered by the train’s passing but I felt a pang of sadness knowing how this railway has affected their migration routes.

LUSH AREAS

The red soils of Tsavo gave way to more lush areas and eventually palm trees – the first signs that we were almost in the coast. I hadn’t realised quite how far away the Mombasa terminus was from the city, so it came as a surprise when the train stopped at another futuristic marvel in the middle of a dusty part of Miritini. About 11km from Mombasa. Some jumped onto waiting buses, others had ordered Ubers while they were still in the train. This left the rest to the mercy of greedy taxi drivers.

Sadly, the final steps of the transition into Mombasa quickly make you forget the smooth experience of the SGR. The infrastructure is being developed around the area and that last bit into town took 40 minutes. It is good to know that it is being worked on though, as this is a trip I’m planning to be making for many years to come.

Samantha Spooner is the commissioning editor for East Africa at The Conversation.