The Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has refuted a report claiming that they plan to acquire new Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMUs) because the previously purchased ones are obsolete.
According to an article published by a daily, 11 Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) acquired in 2020 to enhance city commuting were allegedly unfit for operation due to a lack of spare parts for repairs.
KRC quickly responded, stating that the report is inaccurate and confirming that the master plan has been successful with no DMUs rendered defunct. The corporation emphasized that all DMUs, along with other locomotives and coaches, undergo regular maintenance to ensure customer safety.
KRC stated, “In line with our standard operating procedures, we routinely recall and detach locomotives or coaches, including the DEMUs, for maintenance at the Nairobi Railway Central workshops.”
They further added, “The DMUs have been functional and continue addressing the immediate actions identified under the Masterplan for provision of reliable, safe and comfortable modern rail transport services.”
They also mentioned that the DMUs were initially planned to operate on the Nairobi-Syokimau and Embakasi routes, but due to high customer demand, KRC reassigned them to the Embakasi route while deploying a high-capacity train on the Syokimau route.
Looking ahead, KRC announced plans to purchase new DEMUs with a seating capacity of 1,200 passengers, doubling the capacity of the existing DMUs. These new DEMUs will feature an eight-car set, comprising motorized and non-motorized units, which can be configured into smaller subsets to accommodate varying passenger loads.
