End of an era: Train stations fade into oblivion

Old. Derelict. Forgotten. These three words sum up the fates of train stations that once dotted the old metre gauge railway, once dubbed the Lunatic Express, that straddles the East African landscape from Mombasa to Kampala.

So significant were these stations, at the height of train travel, that notable urban centres sprouted off their backs like mushrooms on deadwood, feeding off the lucrative commerce that snaked its way along the tracks in the wake of chugging diesel trains that came bearing goods, people and lots of trading opportunities.

Fort Ternan. Small, historic. The Kisumu-bound train would stop here just a bit longer to offload sacks of Irish potatoes from Molo, Mau Summit and Njoro.

The Nairobi-bound train would similarly linger to load up on maize and beans as well as passengers heading to Nakuru and Nairobi.

Many are the residents who recount their first visit to the capital city, with their journey starting from Fort Ternan.

TERNAN

Then it started fading away slowly, its river of fortune dwindling like the last drops from a drying tap — drip by drip, from daily trips, to three per week, before ceasing completely. Today, Fort Ternan is a somnolent mess.

Many children here below the age of 10 years have never seen a train pass by.

The building that housed passengers’ waiting area, a ticketing office and the station master’s office has acquired a new tenant: Batian Restaurant.

It has become the most vibrant joint in the backwater town, rebranded, fenced and renovated to complement its new status.

The station master’s office forms the bar counter and the waiting areas have become lounges where revellers while away the time without a single care in the world about the honk of an oncoming train.

BUSINESS

The small godown where goods used to be kept was rented out and holds construction materials.

Years of soil and debris have covered up the railway tracks, whose crossing now resembles any old dirt road well-trodden by cattle hooves and people’s feet.

The bar manager confided in us that news that the government was planning to revive the old line, with uncertainty clouding the proposed Naivasha-Kisumu standard gauge railway, had made him very uneasy.

“Do you think they will pay us well? We are not encroaching, we just lease for years and the investment we have put in to renovate this place is huge,” the manager, who did not want to be named, said, lamenting the imminent disruption to his business.

Fort Ternan is only part of a bigger picture of what has become of various railway stations after the government chose to abandon the metre gauge railway in favour of the Chinese-built standard gauge railway.

LEASED BUILDING

Bigger stations like Nakuru have become a pale shadow of their former selves. Nakuru Railways Restaurant, once a renowned stopover, has wasted away after years of dormancy.

At the dirty entrance, which is now a dumping site for some businesses, the name peeled off long ago and a rusty padlock tells a tale of disuse and neglect.

A peep through its shattered window panes reveals broken chairs and tables strewn all over the floor, as uncollected dirt remains heaped at the far corner of the restaurant hanging with cobwebs, peeling paint and loose electric wires.

A section of the restaurant facing the congested matatu terminus has been partitioned into stalls, a driving school, a depot for sausages and an agrovet.

According to a former worker who was retrenched 10 years ago, the restaurant section has been leased to a private investor who is now making a killing by subletting the space.

“The entire restaurant has been leased out to a private investor, and it is just a matter of time before the entire railway station is turned into a noisy shopping centre,” said the former worker.

RONALO FOODS

Just like Nakuru, Kisumu was a busy terminus for passengers going to other parts of Western Kenya and those proceeding to Butere.

Today, the railway station has been leased out to famous restaurant chain K’Osewe Ranalo Foods.

The eatery, which was started by renowned restaurateur William Osewe and is popular for traditional foods from the lakeside region like athola (roasted meat), aliya (sun-dried meat), obambla (sun-dried fish), kienyeji chicken among other delicacies, has undergone extensive renovation in stark contrast with other sections of the station.

The rest of the monumental station is dominated by dusty and rusty structures overrun by insects and chocking with weeds.

K’Osewe Ranalo Foods, which came to town just over a year ago, has also become popular with people who want to enjoy the breeze on the shores of the world’s second largest fresh water lake, Lake Victoria.

FARMING

There is a spacious car park, a bar, a live band section and projectors for watching soccer on large screens.

Like other tenants along the abandoned line, Mr Osewe has leased the space from the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).

In Butere, the station was converted into a church after train services ceased years ago. The Repentance and Holiness Church are the new tenants here as other facilities, including the office and waiting room, lie idle.

Only the groundsman still works at the defunct station, seven years since it became obsolete.

Mr Caleb Ochola, who also doubles up as a night watchman, said they used to be two of them but his colleague resigned and went in search of greener pastures.

“The station had a warehouse, an office, the station master’s house, a waiting room and a canteen. We also had housing units for the staff. Today, we have leased out the store and the canteen,” Mr Ochola said.

Most of the land belonging to Kenya Railways, according to Mr Ochola, has been given to locals to do farming and promote food security in the area.

RESTAURANTS

In Naivasha, the old railway station is still teeming with people — but revellers rather than travellers. It is the latest entertainment joint in town.

The interior décor is a marvel. Those walking into the joint have a giant screen to keep them entertained as they enjoy their favourite drink with cool music playing in the background.

From the outside, opaque windows are a sure cover for merrymakers eager to while away the day unnoticed.

Adjacent to the station, classy restaurants have been mushrooming to tap into the club’s vibrancy.

“At night, it is almost impossible to get a seat. The clubs are usually full before seven in the evening, especially on Fridays,” said a reveller, Kimani Njoroge.

Chunks of railway land along the line have been encroached on by farmers and traders who rushed for leases to the property when it became clear the railway had been abandoned.

Road crossings have been introduced where they never existed, and crops planted even on top of railway lines in some places, adding to the headache the government will have to deal with if and when it decides to reopen the old meter gauge railway.

Additional reporting by Edwin Okoth, Francis Mureithi, Macharia Mwangi, Victor Rabala and Shaban Makokha