The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train, which was named Madaraka Express, has simplified travel for many Kenyans since its launch. What used to be ten to twelve hour journey to Mombasa or Nairobi by bus has now been reduced to four and a half hours. This means of travel is not only quick, but affordable too. An economy class ticket costs Ksh. 700 and Ksh. 3000 for a first class ticket.
Booking seats on the SGR train has been tricky with people having to visit the stations to book. They have now introduced a method of booking remotely, which is cumbersome, but still better than having to trek to the stations.
Here is how to book your SGR ticket remotely using your phone.
- Call the number 0709 388 888 (between 7am and 4pm)
- Once you get through to a customer care representative, you will be asked to provide your travel details. These are the nature of your trip, the cabin of choice and the number of seats you want to book.
- After you have been informed of the amount to pay, you will receive an SMS with details of the M-pesa Paybill number and the payment ID.
- Once the transaction is complete, you’ll receive an SMS with your ticket information.