Passenger and cargo traffic lift SGR cash to Sh11.6bn in first half of 2026

Nairobi, September 24 - Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) saw a 10.3% increase in passenger traffic during the first half of 2026, according to provisional data released by the national statistics agency. Passenger volume reached approximately 1.31 million by the end of June, compared to about 1.19 million in the same period last year, as reported by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

Freight volume on the SGR also increased, with about 4.1 million tonnes transported during the first half of 2026, up from around 3.56 million tonnes in the same period in 2025, as per KNBS data. The railway generated roughly 70.9 million U.S. dollars in revenue from freight operations, marking a 4.7% increase from the 68.1 million dollars earned in the first half of 2025.

The rise in both passenger and freight traffic aligns with the railway's first annual operating profit since its launch in 2017, totaling 24.7 million dollars for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, as reported by the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC). The improved freight performance is attributed to increased daily freight train operations, additional cargo handling equipment at the Port of Mombasa, optimized rolling stock, and improved train scheduling.