Pick the departure before the class. On the Madaraka Express, the train you choose decides whether you reach Mombasa for lunch, for dinner or in the small hours, and that affects your onward transfer more than the difference between a padded seat and a standard one. Kenya Railways Corporation (KR) runs the service on the standard gauge railway (SGR) it opened to passengers on 31 May 2017, on a 472 km line between the capital and the port.
Which train should I take from Nairobi to Mombasa?
KR's published documents do not agree to the minute, so treat the booking screen as the final word for your date. The pattern they share is three services a day in each direction:
| Service | Leaves Nairobi | Reaches Mombasa | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-county (morning) | 08:00 or 08:20 | 14:00 | Arriving in daylight with time to check in to a hotel |
| Express (afternoon) | 15:00 | about 20:08 | A working morning in Nairobi, dinner-time arrival |
| Night train | 22:00 | 03:55 | Saving a hotel night, if you have a secure pickup |
The 08:20 and 15:00 times, and the 20:08 arrival, come from KR's train fares page. The schedule and fare-revision PDF lists the morning train at 08:00 and the night train at 22:00, arriving 03:55. The online booking site also carries a notice that the N3 and N4 trains run only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; it does not say which departures those are, so check the calendar before planning around the night train on a weekday.
The morning inter-county train stops at all seven intermediate stations: Athi River, Emali, Kibwezi, Mtito Andei, Voi, Miasenyi and Mariakani. Its roughly six hours are about an hour longer than the afternoon express. For a first trip, the morning train gives the most room for error at both ends.
How much is the Madaraka Express, and which class is worth it?
The fares below are from KR's passenger fare sheet, which matches the schedule PDF. KR's train fares page still shows an older table topping out at KES 1,000 in economy and KES 3,000 in first class for the full route. That page carries no date, and The Star reported the KES 1,500, 4,500 and 12,000 fares in December 2025, so the higher figures are the ones to budget for.
| From Nairobi to | Economy | First | Premium (one way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voi | KES 1,050 | KES 3,200 | KES 8,540 |
| Mariakani | KES 1,410 | KES 4,310 | KES 11,500 |
| Mombasa | KES 1,500 | KES 4,500 | KES 12,000 |
Premium is the newest class. Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir flagged it off in October 2024, with the fare set at KES 12,000 one way and KES 20,000 return. According to the booking site's FAQ, meals are included in Premium.
Children under 3 travel free, and children over 11 pay the full fare. The booking FAQ says a minor's ticket needs the child's birth certificate. For a traveller on a budget, economy covers the same route in the same time, so the higher classes buy comfort rather than speed; KR's pages do not describe seat layouts by class.
How do I book and pay for SGR tickets as a visitor?
Tickets go on sale 60 days ahead. You can book online, at station counters, or with Safaricom's USSD code *639#, according to KR's Madaraka Express FAQ. The same FAQ says credit and debit cards are not accepted. The booking site's FAQ lists M-Pesa through the SIM toolkit and "Point of Sale (POS) over the counter", but it does not say whether counters take foreign cards. Plan on M-Pesa and treat any counter card payment as a bonus. Our guide to M-Pesa for visitors covers how visitors can use it.
- Choose the train type, stations, date and time on the booking site.
- Enter each passenger's ID details. Foreign visitors use their passport, and you must carry the original to board.
- Pay by M-Pesa, then print the ticket at a station self-service machine or counter before boarding.
- To change plans, rescheduling costs 10% of the fare. Cancelling costs 30% and needs 48 hours' notice (72 hours for groups).
What happens at the terminus?
KR asks passengers to arrive at least 60 minutes before departure for document checks and security screening. The final call is 11 minutes before departure, and platform gates close 10 minutes before. The FAQ sets the luggage allowance at 30 kg per passenger, with each item no larger than 1 m × 1 m × 1 m. The train fares page gives the same weight but allows up to 1.6 m in each dimension, so pack to the smaller figure if you can. Pets are not allowed on trains or at stations.
In Mombasa, KR's commuter rail timetable runs link trains between Mombasa Terminus and Mombasa Railway Station in the city. For the 08:00, 15:00 and 22:00 departures, link trains leave Mombasa Railway Station at 06:25, 12:35 and 19:20. Arriving from Nairobi, trains that reach the terminus at 04:00, 14:00 and 20:30 connect to link trains into the CBD at 04:10, 14:25 and 21:00. The link-train arrival times differ slightly from the main timetable, which is another reason to confirm on the day. KR's pages did not publish a similar link train for Nairobi Terminus, so plan a road transfer at the Nairobi end.
KR says the service has carried over 15.3 million passengers since 2017. If the train you want is full, move to the next departure first, then to another class, before switching to a bus or flight. Once in Mombasa, our guide to Mombasa Old Town and Fort Jesus explains the historic district on Mombasa Island.