Kenya Railways Reveals Hidden Rule Behind SGR Online Seat Allocation

Kenya Railways has stepped in to clarify how seat allocation works on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Madaraka Express after complaints from passengers over unexpected seating placements despite booking online.

The explanation followed frustration from a traveller who questioned why online bookings often land passengers in the last two coaches, even when hundreds of seats across the train remain unoccupied.

“SGR, why is it that if you book online, even with over 800 seats left, you are guaranteed the last 2 coaches?” the traveller posed.

He added, “Why is it that I always get coach 13 or 14 even when I do an early booking with over 700 available seats? Are those coming at the counter special?”

A collage of First Class and Economy coaches inside the SGR train. /KENYA RAILWAYS

In response, Kenya Railways clarified that passengers can only choose specific seats when purchasing First Class or Economy tickets physically at Madaraka Express stations.

“Good evening, apologies for the inconvenience. However, seat selection is only available for First Class and Economy bookings when tickets are purchased over the counter at any Madaraka Express station,” the corporation explained.

For online bookings, the system allows passengers to reserve tickets through the official portal, pay via M-Pesa, and receive an e-ticket.

Travellers must provide identification details, which are verified at the station before a boarding pass is issued.

While the platform lets users pick between First Class and Economy, seat allocation is automated and based on availability at the time of booking. Each coach carries 118 passengers in Economy and 72 in First Class.

Kenya Railways further indicated that the system typically assigns seats from the rear coaches moving forward or distributes passengers sequentially as bookings increase.

This setup often results in online users being placed in the last coaches, even when many seats remain empty in other sections.

As a result, passengers seeking more control over their seating — or aiming to avoid rear coaches — may need to book their tickets in person, despite the convenience of online reservations.

Meanwhile, recent upgrades to SGR coaches have introduced a new seating layout. Economy class no longer features face-to-face seating or central tables. Instead, three-seat rows now face one direction, while two-seat rows are aligned in the opposite direction.