Kenya Railways strikes ticketing deal with Safaricom to cut off middlemen.
The deal will allow commuters to pay from home and get tickets at the station.
Previously, passengers could only book by paying cash at the ticketing offices in Nairobi or Mombasa.
Passengers travelling on the SGR trains between Nairobi to Mombasa will from Wednesday pay fares via M-Pesa, removing a hurdle that had opened the ticketing business to middlemen.
Kenya Railways has reached a deal with Safaricom #ticker:SCOM for paybill numbers that will allow commuters to pay from home and get tickets at the station Previously, passengers could only book by paying cash at the ticketing offices in Nairobi or Mombasa.
“M-Pesa payments will be ready from today. Safaricom team is on the ground finalising training for 20 ticket issuers who will be based at our stations. We also intend to bring on board Telkom Kenya and Airtel going forward,” said Kenya Railways managing director Atanas Maina.
The trains have become popular with passengers due to low promotional prices and quicker travel, a situation that has left hundreds stranded at the stations.
The express train slashed the time for the 472 km journey to about four hours from 12 on the line built more than a century ago that stretched from Mombasa to the Ugandan capital, Kampala.
The older line is operated by Rift Valley Railways.
The express line also gives businesses and passengers a cheaper and safer alternative to the single-lane highway between Nairobi and Mombasa that is often clogged with cargo trucks.
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