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From Times Online

October 16, 2007

Nairobi to Mombassa by train

The Sunday Times opens its travel clinic on a daily basis to answer your holiday queries. Today: are African trains safe?

Richard Green

My husband and I are visiting Kenya next year, and although we have to fly to Nairobi, we want to do our bit for the environment once there. Would you say that the train between Nairobi and Mombassa is a good idea? We like the sound of it, but don't want to take any big risks. Ida Cunningham, Kings Lynn

Sunday Times travel expert, Richard Green, responds: The train from Nairobi to Mombassa is a great African experience. It's comfortable and safe, and you are almost certain to see some game from your carriage window.

The "Jambo Kenya Deluxe" trains leave Nairobi station, 5,700 up in the Central Highlands, at 7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and chug the 400 miles to sea level and Mombassa. It's scheduled to arrive at 8:25am the next day, but it is usually late; arriving sometime before noon. The return train leaves the coast at 7pm, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

Don't expect a luxury experience put on just for tourists, as this is a working train that ordinary Kenyans use to take goods to market, or visit family and friends. If you choose first class, you'll get a clean two-berth cabin (with doors that only lock from the inside), and for about £25 one-way, you'll also get bedding, a five course evening meal and hot English-style breakfast.

The dining car is great fun, fan-cooled, with white-gloved waiters, and china bearing the logo of the now defunct East Africa Railways actually it stopped operating in 1971. Be sure to book for the last dining car sitting with your carriage guard, and then you'll not need to rush. The trains are pretty old too, and you'll find a fair few lights not working, but the cheery white-suited railways staff make up for any shortcomings.

It's half the price of the one-hour flight, safer than by road, and far more memorable. If you are keen to use the train where you can, there's also an overnight service from Nairobi to Kisumu, on the shores of Lake Victoria.

You can book either through East Africa Shuttles (00 254 20 248453) or Kuja Safaris (00 254 20 313371), which charge about £30pp one-way, including the booking fee, or ask a UK-based tour operator.

The train service is now run by Rift Valley Railways who have a 25 year concession to run the Kenya - Uganda railway line, book your safari through www.amaniafricasafaris/nairobimombasatrainbooking.html and you are definitely guaranteed to view some wildlife and a spectacular view of the African wildlife while on the train. Note no tight connetions especially for flights should be made as the train tends to run late. After all this is Africa.......

Robert, Nairobi, Kenya

In recent years it has still been possible to ride behind a Garratt in Kenya see www.livesteaming.com/kenya.htm

Nairobi to Mombasa by train....a wonderful experience.

Trevor Heath, Port Orchard, Washington USA

Have clear expectations and you'll have a memorable experience ............. non-existant lighting and platform directions as you move through a sea of staring eyes. Frustrating conversations lead to a stuffy tightly-packed waiting room. Delays announced, nothing but bottled water available to purchase. Eventually led by lantern light to the carriage, grey sheets in a sack thrown into the sleeping berth, plastic seating partly ripped . Pre-agree a door-knocking code and lock doors and windows to keep safe from wild animals and locals who try to enter the carriages as the train stops at the various stations. A valiant effort with silver service in the dining car, but unmatched cutlery and crockery on marked off-white tablecloths do little to enhance the yellow-grey soup, off-white piece of fish and sticky-foam textured cake. The toilet is a hole in the floor of another carriage - use a torch to find your way. Makes for great dinner-party conversation.

John, Bristol, England

Interesting reading these accounts - sounds as if little has changed in 50 years, only in those days (1950s) the trains were pulled by the magnificent Beyer-Garratt locomotives and there was a branch line from Voi to Moshi so you could join up with the main Arusha to Dar-es-Salaam line. There are some lovely photographs on the ' East African Railways and Harabours' web site.
DIJ, Colwyn Bay

David Reed, Colwyn Bay, UK

Interesting reading those accounts. Sounds as if little has changed in 50 years - only in those days (1950s) the trains were pulled by the magnificent Beyer-Garratt locomotives and there was a branch line from Voi to Moshi so you could join up with the main Arusha to Dar-es-Salaam line. There are some lovely pictures on the East African Railways and Harbours web site.
DIJ

David Reed, Colwyn Bay, UK

We've just come back from Kenya having used the train from Nairobi down to Mombasa.
I couldn't understand why the trains left Nairobi so slowly till I was told they were inspecting the underside for those looking for a free ride.
You are told of the risk of theft but you can lock your compartment from inside and is this any different from many other sleeper trains.
Dining service also included silver service but not necessarily from the same set!!
The journey was erratic, stopping many times during the night - not always sure what for.
Yes, it is scheduled to arrive at 08.30am, we arrived at 11.10am and were told it doesn't normally arrive till about 1.00pm!! So 600km in 16hrs is not exactly high speed, but we never expected that.
Still the extra 2.5 hrs daylight allowed us to see more animals and the local village homesteads .
We would concure that it was a wonderful experience not to be forgotten but not necessarily to be done again.
Fred & Sue, Cornwall

Frederick Shotter, Calstock, Cornwall, UK

I have done this trip myself. Firstly it is a wonderful experience to see the station in Nairobi which makes you imagine your in the late 19th century. Secondly being on the train itself and travelling in the 1st class compartment you have two bunks and a sink is a great experience. Just like the article says the dining service with the white gloves and the china really lets you see how the rich travelled in by gone days. However, the down side being there are mosquitos on the train that love biting people, the ride is not to smooth if your thinking of sleeping, the food is poor but worth the experience, the reliability of getting to Mombasa on time should not be expected. Its cheap, its a wonderful experience and thats the only reason to use the train. Would i do it again? Probably not but i am glad i did it once.

Malla, Newcastle,