Nairobi-Mombasa SGR Train Makes Emergency Stop over Mysterious Bag Abandoned on the Tracks

Operations on the Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) were on Sunday interrupted over safety fears.

This was after a mysterious bag was discovered abandoned on the tracks, forcing a train that was ferrying passengers to Mombasa from Nairobi to make an emergency stop.

Nation reported that train services were suspended for at least an hour as police officers moved to clear the bag left near a railway bridge at the Miasenyi area.

The incident was confirmed by Coast Regional Commissioner John Elungata, who did not give details on the contents of the bag.

"We wanted to establish the contents of the bag that had been dropped at the foot of the railway bridge at Miasenyi," said Elungata.

In a video shared by Nation, impatient passengers aboard the stalled train are heard demanding an explanation from the crew over why it stopped.

“Some of us are traveling to Malindi and Lamu,” a male passenger says, accusing the crew of failing to offer a satisfactory explanation for the stop.

The 960-seater passenger train usually has police officers stationed in wagons to ensure safety and order. 

Following the scare, the commuter train that departs Mombasa at 3:00 pm daily was delayed for one hour.