Kenya Railways on Thursday, November 19, announced that it would commence a new train service, effective next week.
Under the Nairobi commuter Rail Service, the parastatal will begin operations for commuters from the city centre to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Set to start on Tuesday, November 24, passengers will have an option of using the train service from the Central Station (popularly known as Railways Stage) to Embakasi Railway Station from where they will board a bus to take them to the airport.
"They will then be ferried through the Airport South Road which will be dedicated to the Nairobi Commuter Rail Bus also referred to as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicles,” a statement by KRC disclosed.
The buses will be in use as plans to extend the rail network to the airport are underway.
The connecting plans are to allow air travelers an alternative mode of transport to and from the airport. It is expected to save commuters the inconvenience of being caught up in the Mombasa Road traffic jam which has been aggravated by the ongoing construction of the Westlands-JKIA expressway.
During the launch of the Commuter train service on November 10, the President stated that it was prudent for the government to invest in an integrated transport network in cities and growing urban areas.
“While this extension is being constructed, high capacity buses will be stationed at Embakasi Village Station to provide direct transport services to and from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,” he stated.
Already the newly-commissioned Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) that were acquired for the railway system at a cost of Ksh1.5 Billion are already in operation.
The units provide enhanced transport in the high-density residential areas of Ruiru, Mwiki, Embakasi Village, Athi River, Kikuyu, Kahawa, Githurai, Dandora, Pipeline, and Donholm.
The new commuter rail network, which will have day-long hourly train service to and from the 10 stations, will also be integrated with a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that will connect the Nairobi Central Station with existing matatu and commuter bus termini.
Kenya Railways further revealed that the DMU train service will charge a flat fee of Ksh100 to each destination.
According to the management, passengers found not to be adhering to Covid-19 containment measures will be denied access to the commuter trains.
