Written by Lisa Murimi
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has reported a significant decline in passenger numbers on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) during the first half of 2024.
In its Leading Economic Indicators report, released on September 18, KNBS revealed that the SGR ferried 1,128,805 passengers between January and June, a drop of 121,000 compared to the same period in 2023.
January saw the highest passenger traffic with 192,376 passengers, as more citizens embraced the train service for its reliability and convenience.
However, passenger numbers dipped in February, April, and May, impacting overall performance.
Despite the decrease in passenger numbers, SGR’s revenue grew significantly, rising by Ksh648.7 million to reach Ksh1.85 billion during the review period.
This revenue increase was attributed to new measures implemented by the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), with January, April, and May recording the highest earnings.
In its June quarterly performance report, KNBS had already indicated a 65,000 passenger drop between January and March 2024 compared to the previous year.
The transportation sector’s real GDP also slowed to 3.8% growth in the first quarter of 2024, down from 6.6% in 2023. Meanwhile, SGR cargo revenue rose marginally to Ksh3.24 billion.
