Nairobi residents have shown interest in the commuter rail with the revamp of the tracks, trains and acquisition of new ones.
According to a poll conducted on October 27 by Kenyans.co.ke on social media, many commuters (79%) are willing to ditch matatus for the new transport system.
A special unit drawn from the police service has been deployed to offer security and enforce the laws in the Nairobi Commuter Rail just as traffic officers are based on Kenya roads.
The unit was established in 1926 to deal specifically with prevention and detection of offences in the railways from the coast to Kisumu, including Kilindini Harbour and branch lines. The team has however been revamped with the new railway system.
Based at the Kenya Railways headquarters, the unit is headed by Police Commandant David R. Bunei.
Railway Police Unit is tasked with among other things, prevention and detection of crime regarding railway use.
In 2018, a special team was sent to China for training on railway security to be attached to the country’s most expensive track, the SGR.
The railway officers are based at different stations on different routes and sometimes accompany passengers and goods in transit inside the trains.
The officers investigate offences committed by passengers inside the trains, as well as threats to the Kenya Railway assets.
During the launch of the SGR in Mombasa in 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered that vandalism on the railway line be punishable by death.
Some of the other offences Nairobians should look out for while using the Nairobi commuter rail include boarding without a ticket, boarding or alighting while the train is in motion.
The above offence attracts a fine not exceeding three thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months.
The penalty is also served to passengers who occupy seats reserved for others and fails to comply with orders given by railway employees.
