The resumption of passenger rail services along the Nairobi–Gilgil–Ol Kalou–Nyahururu corridor after a 46-year interruption is being positioned as both a transport milestone and a tourism development opportunity, with government officials linking the restored line to wider efforts aimed at improving regional connectivity, reducing travel costs and opening up destinations that have historically remained outside Kenya’s mainstream tourism circuits.
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano welcomed the revival of the route ahead of its official launch, describing the railway's return as a development capable of reshaping visitor access to parts of Nyandarua and Laikipia counties while strengthening economic activity along the corridor. Her remarks came after the first passenger train departed Nairobi on Monday, marking the restoration of services on a line that last operated in 1980 before falling into disuse as infrastructure deteriorated and freight volumes declined.
The railway, popularly known as the "Thompson Railway" because of its connection to Thomson’s Falls in Nyahururu, was originally constructed in the 1920s and formally entered service in 1929. For decades, it served as a key transport link for agricultural produce, livestock, timber and passengers travelling between the Aberdare Highlands, the Rift Valley and Nairobi, helping integrate production centres with major markets and administrative hubs.
“World-class infrastructure means a world-class tourism economy,” said Miano, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife. “The revived Nairobi-Nyahururu railway line will not only cut travel costs but reduce carbon footprint, as well as opening economic hubs across Ol Kalou and the Aberdare Highlands.”
Her comments place tourism at the centre of the railway’s expected impact, with the restored service creating a direct transport connection to attractions such as Thomson’s Falls while improving accessibility to areas that have traditionally relied on road transport. The route is also expected to complement ongoing efforts to diversify tourism offerings beyond established coastal and wildlife destinations by encouraging movement into lesser-visited regions with cultural, ecological and heritage value.
“This historic milestone is a testament to the unwavering vision of H.E. President William Ruto, whose Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and modernization of our rail networks is breathing life back into regions historically cut off from major tourism circuits,” said Miano.
Kenya Railways has stated that the restoration forms part of a wider programme to rehabilitate and modernise rail infrastructure across the country, with works on the corridor covering track rehabilitation, station upgrades, locomotive refurbishment, ballasting and improvements to operational facilities. Passenger services will operate four times weekly, with economy fares set at Ksh 450 to Gilgil, Ksh 550 to Ol Kalou and Ksh 600 to Nyahururu, while first-class tickets will cost Ksh 960, Ksh 1,160 and Ksh 1,300 respectively.
Beyond passenger transport, freight movement has already resumed on the corridor, with Kenya Railways transporting hundreds of tonnes of government-subsidised fertiliser to depots in Ol Kalou and Nyahururu. The agency expects the line to support trade, improve market access, lower logistics costs and strengthen links between production zones and the Naivasha Inland Container Depot, reinforcing the role of rail transport in regional economic development while supporting tourism growth through improved accessibility and more environmentally sustainable travel options.
