Mombasa Commuter Rail Service to Begin Operations on September 17

by Maurine Kirambia on Monday, 15 September 2025 - 11:24 am

Trains passing through a section of the railway's headquarters in Nairobi.

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Railways Service

President William Ruto will be commissioning the Mombasa Commuter Rail Service on Wednesday, September 17.

In a notice issued by the Kenya Railways Corporation on Monday, the service announced that the President would be gracing the occasion following the completion of the service, which began in 2022.

"What if getting from the Mombasa Terminus to Mombasa CBD was simple? What if the journey took minutes, not hours? What if the train did the work for you?" the notice read.

"On 17th September 2025, those what-ifs become reality as the Mombasa Commuter Rail Service is set to be officially commissioned by President William Ruto. Mombasa is about to move differently."

Transport PS Mohamed Daghar boarding the upcoming Mombasa Commuter Rail train on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.

Photo

Kenya Railways

This comes just days after the corporation announced that it had completed the construction of the railway service and it was ready for commissioning.

The Ksh6 billion project is set to offer local commuters access to a faster, safer, and more affordable mode of commuting daily along the railway that will stretch over 17 kilometres.

It will further link passengers of the Madaraka Express train from Nairobi to Mombasa to the Mombasa Central Business District (CBD), offering two options for the locals: the 'Park and Ride' and the 'Drop and Ride' options.

Along the 17-kilometre stretch, the new railway link will make stops at Miritini, Changamwe West, Changamwe East, Shimanzi, and Mombasa Central Station.

During an inspection tour of the facility, Transport CS Davis Chirchir announced that the commuter train will carry 4,000 passengers daily between Mombasa's central business district and the SGR terminus, reducing traffic congestion on the coastal city’s roads.

The project also included rehabilitating the existing Mombasa Island–Miritini metre-gauge railway (MGR) line, as well as constructing the Mombasa MGR station.

Speaking on February 2, the Kenya Railways Managing Director, Philip Mainga, announced that the new train would link the Mombasa Central Railway Station within Mombasa CBD to the SGR Mombasa Terminus in Miritini, a connection that has long been a challenge for many commuters.

"We are looking to operationalise the Link train for Mombasa County soon. Once operational, residents, tourists, and train enthusiasts travelling to Mombasa will be able to use the Link train," he stated.