Passengers using the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Madaraka Express train from Mombasa to Nairobi will have to double the figure they are paying now for their children between the ages of 3 to 11 years.
The Kenya Railways Service has said it is looking into a proposal that wants to cancel the subsidy which saw children pay half the amount adults were paying.
The new proposal will see fare increased by 100 percent for children.
On May 1st, 2018, passengers on second class/economy class started paying Sh1,000 from Mombasa to Nairobi, an increase from Sh700 that had been set by President Uhuru Kenyatta when he launched the train. Children between 3 to 11 years using this class are now paying Sh500.
The first class train charges Sh3,000 for adults and Sh1,500 for children. The new proposal will see passengers pay for the seat irrespective of their age.
This means children in the second class will pay Sh1,000 and Sh3,000 for those in first class.
“We are looking at the model where charges will be based on the seat irrespective of the traveler's age.
"This is our proposal and it’s subject to approval by the ministry.” Philip Mainga, the acting Kenya Railways managing director, was quoted by the Business Daily
The proposal seeks to ensure the train generates more revenue to help in settling the money borrowed from China's Exim Bank that funded the construction of the SGR.