Kenya Railways has issued a warning to passengers planning to travel on the Madaraka Express to ensure they purchase tickets only through official channels, cautioning that fake websites are being used to defraud unsuspecting customers.

In a notice issued on Tuesday, August 12, the corporation stated that tickets for the Nairobi–Mombasa service are available exclusively through three channels — booking online at metickets.krc.co.ke, using the USSD code *639#, or buying directly at any Madaraka Express passenger service station.

"We urge the public to remain vigilant and book exclusively through our official Kenya Railways platforms. Protect yourself from fraud!" the notice read.

The Madaraka Express operates on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line, connecting Nairobi and Mombasa, with stops at Athi River, Emali, Kibwezi, Mtito Andei, Voi, Miasenyi, and Mariakani.

It runs two main services — the Intercounty train, which stops at all stations, and the Express train, which travels non-stop between the two cities.

The warning comes days after the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reported a drop in passenger numbers on the SGR service during the first quarter of 2025.

KNBS data shows that the train carried 529,591 passengers between January and March this year, down from 531,673 over the same period in 2024 — a decline of 2,082 passengers.

In January 2025, the number of passengers fell to 188,238 from 192,376 the previous year. February recorded an increase to 168,897 passengers, up from 158,652 in 2024, but the figures dipped again in March to 172,456 from 180,645 passengers in the previous year.

Despite the reduced passenger numbers, revenue for the period rose, likely due to fare adjustments introduced in January. Kenya Railways recorded earnings of Ksh936,299,658 in the first quarter of 2025, compared to Ksh880,819,035 in the same period of 2024.