NAIROBI, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Ali Khan, 17, adjusted his backpack and stepped aboard the afternoon Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train at Voi Station.
Three days earlier, the Indian teenager and 74 fellow campers had arrived here from the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa on the morning train. After exploring the wilderness of Tsavo, they were now continuing their 21-day camp journey across Kenya, with Nairobi as their next destination.
"I'm very excited," Ali said, his eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside the train window. "I've already recommended the SGR to many friends. It's so convenient, and the scenery is remarkable."
For Ali, who had flown from India to Mombasa before joining the youth camp, the railway was far more than transportation between destinations. It had become part of the adventure itself.
His journey reflects a growing travel pattern in Kenya, where the Chinese-built SGR is making it easier for visitors to combine the country's coastline, wildlife and capital city in a single itinerary.
For decades, reaching Tsavo National Park usually meant spending long hours on the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway. Today, travelers can board an early morning train from either Nairobi or Mombasa, arrive in Voi before noon, check into a safari lodge and still have time for an evening game drive.
"I've been working as a safari driver for 25 years, and I've seen many guests taking the SGR directly from Nairobi to Tsavo since it was launched," said Krism Kalisa, a veteran guide at Tsavo National Park.
"It's very comfortable and reliable. The train always arrives on time. Some guests spend just one night before taking the train back to Nairobi," Kalisa added.
Hotels near the park have also adjusted their services to the railway timetable.
"The SGR has significantly shortened travel time. It's clean, comfortable and relaxing," said Lameck Onsongo, receptionist at a wildlife lodge near Tsavo East National Park.
Located only about 15 minutes from Voi Station, the lodge now highlights its railway accessibility on its website, reflecting the growing popularity of rail among safari travelers.
For Shirin Khakoo, a counselor accompanying the youth group, the railway represents how dramatically travel in Kenya has changed.
"When I first came to Mombasa 13 years ago, there was no SGR," she recalled. "The matatu journey took about nine hours, and I was exhausted even before the trip started."
"Now we leave Mombasa after sunrise and arrive in Voi within two hours. The kids are excited throughout the journey."
She has also witnessed changes around the station itself.
"Years ago, there was almost nothing around the station," Khakoo said.
"Now it's lively, with restaurants, transport services and many more businesses."
While tourists experience the railway one journey at a time, local leaders see a broader transformation.
"The SGR has made a very significant contribution not only to Voi but also to Kenya's economy," said Khamis Chome Abdi, Member of Parliament for Voi Constituency.
According to Abdi, the railway's impact began long before the first passenger train entered service.
Compensation for land acquisition enabled many residents to improve their homes or invest in businesses. During construction, local truck owners, contractors and hundreds of young workers benefited from the project, while many acquired engineering and construction skills they continue to use today.
"The opportunities started during construction," Abdi said. "Many people improved their lives even before the trains began running."
Today, he believes the railway's greatest contribution lies in reliability and connectivity.
"If I leave Voi by train, I know exactly when I'll arrive in Nairobi," he said. "Road transport cannot always give you that certainty."
The railway has also changed the way local businesses operate.
According to Abdi, traders can now travel to Mombasa early in the morning, purchase goods and return to Voi before evening, making same-day business trips possible. Around the station, improved roads, water infrastructure, new housing developments and a growing number of hotels and short-term accommodations have gradually reshaped the town.
Local hospitality operators estimate visitor numbers have increased by about 40 percent since the railway entered operation, driven largely by growing domestic tourism.
Former Taita Taveta County Assembly member Omar Ahmed, who witnessed both the construction and operation of the railway, said Voi has gradually evolved from a stop along the highway into a tourism gateway.
"Tourists no longer have to drive all the way from Nairobi or Mombasa," he said. "They simply arrive here by train, and safari vehicles pick them up at the station."
He recalled that the locals welcomed the decision to include a stop in Voi, making transfers to Tsavo more convenient and strengthening the town's role as a transport hub.
Looking ahead, Abdi believes the railway's significance extends beyond Kenya.
As plans advance to extend the line toward Uganda and eventually connect more East African countries, he said stronger regional connectivity could stimulate trade, tourism and economic integration across the region.
"The future is connectivity," he said. "Africa should connect its economies and build a larger regional market."
As the afternoon train accelerated northward, Voi Station slowly slipped out of sight.
The bustle of the platform soon gave way to the vast landscapes of Tsavo. The coastline that had welcomed Ali days earlier had been replaced by rolling savannah dotted with acacia trees. Beneath the golden afternoon light, zebras grazed quietly in the distance, while a giraffe strode across the plains before fading into the brush.
Inside the carriage, some campers played cards. Others worked on Rubik's Cubes or scrolled through hundreds of photos they had taken during their trip. Every so often, another burst of excitement spread through the cabin as someone spotted wildlife outside the train.
For Ali, the journey had become much more than traveling from one destination to another.
It had connected the beaches of the Indian Ocean with Kenya's vast wilderness, transformed a once-quiet stopover town into the gateway to one of Africa's best-known national parks, and offered young travelers from around the world a memorable introduction to the country's landscapes, wildlife and people.
As the train continued toward Nairobi, the changing scenery outside the windows served as a quiet reminder that for many visitors today, the journey through Kenya no longer begins at the destination.
It begins on the railway.
