Government reopens Ol Kalou Railway after 46 years

The Ministry of Interior has hailed the revival of the historic Ol Kalou Railway Station as a milestone in efforts to restore key transport infrastructure and boost economic growth.

In a statement on Tuesday, July 14, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the station resumed operations in June 2026, marking the return of railway services along the 78-kilometre Gilgil-Ol Kalou-Nyahururu Meter Gauge Railway branch line after nearly 46 years of inactivity.

Omollo explained that the line was initially developed to support the transport of agricultural produce before falling into neglect as road transport became more dominant and maintenance declined.

“Originally constructed by the colonial administration and commissioned in 1929 to transport agricultural produce, the line gradually fell into disuse due to changing economic priorities, inadequate maintenance and growing competition from road transport. By 1980, services had stopped entirely, leaving the corridor dormant for decades,” he wrote.

Omollo said the restoration project was made possible through collaboration between Kenya Railways and the Kenya Defence Forces Engineering Brigade.

“The restoration of the railway was undertaken through a partnership between Kenya Railways and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Engineering Brigade,” he added.

Omollo further noted that although rehabilitation works began in 2020, the final stages of financing, operationalisation and the relaunch were completed under President William Ruto’s administration.

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Omollo added that the revived railway now serves both passengers and freight, providing a direct link between Nairobi, Ol Kalou and Nyahururu while also supporting the transportation of subsidised farm inputs through a dedicated rail siding at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depot in Ol Kalou.

“Today, the revived corridor supports both passenger and freight services. The Nyahururu Safari Train, popularly known as the Thompson Train, now links Nairobi with Ol Kalou and Nyahururu, with a separate rail siding serving the NCPB Ol Kalou Depot, facilitates the movement of subsidised farm inputs,” he explained.

This comes over a month after Kenya Railways announced the revival of freight operations along the Gilgil-Nyahururu branch line.

In a statement on Monday, June 1, the corporation said the milestone was achieved through the transportation of government-subsidized fertilizer to depots in Ol Kalou and Nyahururu.

“Kenya Railways transported 396 tonnes of Government-subsidized fertilizer from Athi River Railway Station to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots in Ol Kalou and Nyahururu, marking the revival of freight services on the Gilgil-Nyahururu branch line after 46 years,” the statement read.

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