By Veronicah Stellah
The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has experienced a significant reduction in both passenger numbers and cargo volumes in the first quarter of 2024. According to a report released by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the transportation and storage sector’s real GDP growth decelerated to an estimated 3.8% in the first quarter of 2024, compared to a 6.6% growth recorded during the same period in 2023.
Passenger numbers for the SGR dropped by 11.0%, from 597,500 in the first quarter of 2023 to 531,700 in the first quarter of 2024, marking a decline of 65,800 passengers. Similarly, freight haulage via the SGR saw a 17.4% decrease, with volumes falling from 1,577,900 metric tonnes in the first quarter of 2023 to 1,303,300 metric tonnes during the same period in 2024.
Despite these challenges, the KNBS report highlighted a marginal increase in revenues for the SGR. This revenue uptick is attributed to a 50% hike in ticket prices introduced in January 2024.
The SGR’s struggle with declining volumes in both passenger and cargo services reflects broader challenges in the transportation sector, which has seen slowed growth in the early part of the year.
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