The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has refuted claims in a recent report suggesting that they are planning to acquire new Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMUs) because the previously acquired ones have become obsolete.
The report, published by a local daily, alleged that 11 Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) purchased in 2020 to improve city commuting were no longer operational due to a lack of spare parts for repairs. In response, KRC swiftly dismissed the report as inaccurate, asserting that the master plan has been successful and that all DMUs remain fully functional.
KRC emphasized that all their DMUs, along with other locomotives and coaches, undergo regular maintenance to ensure the safety and reliability of their services. "As part of our standard operating procedures, we routinely recall and service locomotives and coaches, including the DEMUs, at the Nairobi Railway Central workshops," KRC stated.
The corporation further clarified that the DMUs have been effectively fulfilling their role under the master plan, providing reliable, safe, and comfortable modern rail transport services. Initially, the DMUs were scheduled to operate on the Nairobi-Syokimau and Embakasi routes, but due to high passenger demand, they were reassigned to exclusively serve the Embakasi route, while a high-capacity train was introduced on the Syokimau route.
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KRC also revealed that the new DEMUs set for acquisition will have a seating capacity of 1,200 passengers, double that of the existing DMUs. These DEMUs are designed as eight-car sets, consisting of both motorized and non-motorized units that can be detached to create smaller capacity sub-sets.
