NAIROBI, Oct. 2 -- Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) on Wednesday upgraded the Chinese-built standard gauge railway (SGR) Madaraka Express passenger train with premium class coaches, marking a new milestone for the popular service.

In a statement released in Kenya's capital of Nairobi, the KRC highlighted the official addition of the premium service as a "game-changer."

"We revitalize, modernize and transform the passenger experience to exceptional standards in efficiency, comfort, luxury, safety, security, convenience and much more. Welcome on board," the corporation said.

Cabinet Secretary at the Ministry of Roads and Transport Davis Chirchir attended the launch ceremony of the newly upgraded train service which runs between Nairobi and Mombasa on the coast of the Indian Ocean.

According to KRC, adults will pay 12,000 Kenyan shillings (about 93 U.S. dollars) for a premium class ticket, while children aged 3 to 11 will be charged around 46.5 dollars.

Kenya's SGR passenger traffic rose to a new high of 2.73 million in 2023, up from 2.39 million in 2022, as more citizens sought reliability, convenience and affordability.

  - Xinhua