- Add new comment
- 767 views
Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) passenger train, Madaraka Express, which was launched by President Kenyatta in June last year has earned the government Sh1 billion in revenue in a span of one year.
Speaking on Wednesday, Kenya Railways Managing Director Atanas Maina said the passenger train has moved more than 1.3 million travellers between Nairobi and Mombasa since its launch.
“Since we started the trains have been full throughout the lowest recording being in the region of 85 % otherwise we’ve been at 100 percent occupancy,” said Kenya Railways Managing Director Atanas Maina.
Maina said the train made about 1,144 trips during the one year period between the two cities at a cost of Sh700 and Sh3000 for economy and first class respectively, the government raking in an estimated Sh1 billion in revenues in the process.
“Government policy was to first ensure that Kenyans can move as fast as possible safely efficiently for business and leisure so we don’t see ourselves increasing the fares over the next one year,” observed Atanas.
“The plans we are putting in place it to look at what we require in terms of additional capacity for coaches that should be ready in the next 12 months. Next is to bring in additional locomotives and coaches to provide additional trains service and in the next 24 months we will have taken care of this medium term plan,” said Atanas.
SGR railway between Mombasa and Nairobi was constructed at a cost of about Sh330 billion and was labelled the most expensive infrastructure in the history of the country.
The construction of second phase of the SGR project, which runs between Nairobi and Naivasha, is currently ongoing.
Comments
1,000,000,000 (Shillings) a YEAR divide by 12 (Months) comes to 833,333,333.33 a MONTH. Then divide a 1 Month's Revenue by 30 (Days). This Equals to 2,777,777.78 per DAY. This means at Least 2.5 Million Shillings a DAY. So I hope the I Billion Adds Up.
In UK a billion is written 1,000,000,000,000 while in US a billion is 1,000,000,000. Kenya copy UK, So review your calculation. However I stand to be collected if I Am wrong
I million has 6 Zeros; 1 Billion has 9 Zeros; 1 Trillion has 12 Zeros as in 1,000,000,000,000.
Misplaced hatred clouds thinking of a clear rip off...
There is No Clear "Rip-off" here. Stop snapoing Out of the Handle.
At this rate of 1 billion shillings a year, it would take 330 years to pay for the project. Thats not a smart deal by any long shot.
If China can Play the US hands Down, just Expect the Worst for African Countries. And Kenya iz Already a Goose COOKED for China.
It took one year for SGR to rake in 1Billion. It also took one year to loot NYS 9 Billion. Nothing to celebrate here cos at this rate of looting SGR appears to be small potatoes to the looters. We are in deep doo-doo.
Good Obersavation Mugikuyu. An Eye Opener to some of us.
This Maina fellow is talking of foregoing price increase.Why is he talking about that when he has just raked in a billion in profit.Leave things the way they are till you start "loosing" then you think of price increase. RIght now please serve the public without profit in mind.Let wananchi enjoy without worrying of price hike for at least 5years.
Hallelujah bravo bravo 1bksh.What if we triple the daily train n also extend it in all metropolitan counties Nairobi kiambu kajiado machakos then this cash will quadruple.
May raila n his goons read about this 1bksh after trying to stop this development to proceed as they always do coz they want kenya to continue bin poor n poorer.Goodjob Uhuruto.