Kenya Railways has unveiled a plan to ease congestion along the busy Mombasa Road in the country's capital, Nairobi.
In an announcement made Friday, September 3, Kenya Railways said it will increase the number of commuter trains between the inter-stations serving users of the busy highway.
Kenya Railways Managing Director, Philip Maingi, said the corporation has registered an increased demand for trains owing to the ongoing construction of the Nairobi Expressway that has disrupted transport services along the route.
"Traffic has been a great issue for passengers using Mombasa Road. Starting next week, we will increase the number of commuter trains to help ease the situation," noted the Kenya Railways MD.
To escape the huge traffic snarl up that last hours, many passengers have opted for the trains with the numbers soaring daily.
Maingi noted that despite Kenya Railways having large capacity trains, the demand is way too high as at the moment.
“We have witnessed the congestion and the high demand for the trains to an extent that people have to stand. If you get a seat, you are lucky,” the Managing Director remarked.
He went ahead to note that the coaches are not enough and get full within minutes or docking at the inter-stations. He added that the corporation will add more trains on the route during the peak hours.
“We will increase the number of coaches to and from the Athi River station and all inter-stations along that route. When we talk of a train with 20 coaches, we are talking of a trip of 1,000 people. That is a big number. We will also have an additional DMU to Nairobi central,” he noted.
Besides adding the trains, the Managing Director mentioned that there will be a review of fares charged.
“In the next three weeks, we shall revise the fare charges and during off peak hours, you will pay as low as 50 percent of what you pay during peak hours.”
