Kenya’s capital, Nairobi enjoys massive revenue streams for its strategic location at the center of the Country, hence prone to heavy transport in its roads. – By Gerald Gekara.
However, to solve this problem, the Kenya Railways Authority has been busy for the better part of the COVID-19 pandemic trying to refurbish old rails within the city.
The efforts would see a massive shift from the city’s dependance on public transport vehicles commonly known as matatus, and taxis.
The Diesel Multiple Units that are scheduled to hit the rails later this month, will offer alternatives to PSVs by providing a time concious jamless ride to the CBD.
The project that will cost Ksh 1.15 Billion, will see Spain supply 11 second-hand DMUs from Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca to operate commuter services around Nairobi.
The DMUs form part of a master plan to expand commuter services on five routes radiating from the Kenyan capital.
Kenya railways is targetting an increase in capacity from 13,000 to 132,000 passengers a day by 2022.
The authority will also refurbish 20 loco-hauled coaches to augment the 40 that it currently deploys on suburban services, and build nine new stations.
Of the five routes, one links Nairobi Central to the Standard Gauge Railway hub at Syokimau in the capital’s southeastern suburbs, while another continues southeast along the former Nairobi – Mombasa main line to Athi River, where a new station is to be built at Kitengela.
Passenger services will also be revitalised on the branch running northeast to Thika, serving new stations at Umoja and Kenyatta University, while inner-suburban services will run as far as Embakasi, close to the international airport.
The fifth route runs northwest along the historic main line as far as Kikuyu on the Rift Valley escarpment; on this line KR expects to develop new or rebuilt stations at Strathmore University, Mbagathi Way, Kibera, Dagoretti and Thogoto.
