The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has announced plans to reopen the Gilgil-Nyahururu railway line next month, a move meant to improve connectivity across the Rift Valley region.
The railway corporation says the 78-kilometre line is expected to resume operations within weeks, with the intention to support freight efficiency while strengthening long-term logistics links between industrial users and national rail infrastructure systems and corridors.
“Kenya Railways further highlighted ongoing plans to launch operations along the Gilgil – Nyahururu railway branch line within the next month,” stated Kenya Railways.
The plan was revealed during a meeting between Kenya Railways and Bamburi Group on May 20 with the main agenda on the table being the introduction of cement trains and clinker shipments to reinforce cargo volumes expected to shift from road transport to rail networks.
A photo of the damaged Uplands–Kijabe–Longonot MGR Line, November 3, 2025.
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Kenya Railways
The rehabilitation process of the decades-old railway line commenced in August 2020, spearheaded by the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) in partnership with the Nyandarua and Nakuru county governments.
The railway line fell into disuse in the late 1970s and early 1980s after the collapse of the East African Railways Corporation (EARC), which disrupted regional rail coordination and operations.
Additionally, the declining freight volumes and passenger numbers made the line economically unviable, as maintenance costs heightened whereas road transport became the preferred option for most cargo movement across the region corridors.
After closure, the corridor suffered years of neglect, with vandalism, blocked drainage systems, and sections of track being buried or completely damaged along the abandoned route. Over time, deterioration continued across key segments.
This comes against the backdrop of the government’s plans to accelerate rehabilitation of dormant railway lines, focusing on reviving the meter gauge network to improve cargo capacity and reduce pressure on highways across the country’s logistics systems.
Key projects include the Nairobi Commuter Rail network upgrade, the Voi-Taveta branch rehabilitation, and improvements on the Nairobi-Nanyuki line all aimed at improving connectivity across the country and enhancing the overall passenger experience.
The revamping of these railway lines is a result of deals signed by President William Ruto’s administration recently, such as the Ksh12.5 billion deal with France during the Africa Forward Summit on May 11 to 13 to revamp the Nairobi Commuter Rail system.
President William Ruto has also, on March 20, launched an expansion of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network, extending the line from Naivasha through Narok, Bomet, Kericho, and Ahero to Kisumu, with an 8.69-kilometer branch line linking directly to Kisumu Port.
President William Ruto, during the tightening of the nut signifying commencement of the Naivasha-Kisumu Standard Gauge Railway (Phase 2B) project on March 19, 2026.
PCS
