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It’s Sh100 per ride in new Kenya Railways DMUs

By Hilary Kimuyu November 16th, 2020 2 min read

The new park and ride passenger rail service in the city has moved closer to full operation after Kenya Railways released the schedule for the newly launched Nairobi Commuter Trains.

Traversing through five estates across Nairobi and its environs, the Diesel Multiple-Units (DMUs), Commuter Trains and Link Trains will operate on a fixed schedule across the city and will charge passengers Sh100 flat rate to each destination.

The DMUs are expected to ply city routes and were assigned the route based on the overall population in the given areas.

They will be operating from Nairobi Central Station to the designated stops which were recently upgraded and completed last month.

The Nairobi commuter rail project, a brainchild of Kenya Railway Service in conjunction with Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), is part of the Master Plan of an integrated commuter system within the city and its environs also comprising the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), monorail and underground rail (Metro).

Six trains will leave the Nairobi Central Station for Syokimau through the day with the first train leaving at 6:30am and arriving at 7:03am.

Syokimau terminus to Nairobi Central station will also see six trains depart from the station at 6:27am, and arrive in CBD at 6:53am with two stops at Imara Daima and Makadara stations.

There will also be other trains departing from the Nairobi Central Station to Embakasi Village Terminus each day and vice vasa. These trains will cover Makadara, Donholm and Pipeline.

On the Ruiru to Nairobi Central Terminus route Kenya Railways said there will be a single train each day morning and evening with the first train leaving the station at 6am and arriving in CBD at 7:35am, while the evening train will leave at 5:40pm.

The route will cover Makadara, Dandora, Mwiki, Githurai and Kahawa West.

Just as is the case for Ruiru residents, there will also be a single train going to and from CBD to cater to Kahawa Residents. The same is the case in Kikuyu area.

From Kahawa West the train will depart at 9am and arrive in CBD at 10:15 while making stops at Makadara, Dandora Mwiki and Githurai.

While the Kikuyu route will see the commuter train leave the station at 6am and arrive in CBD at 7:30 while picking and dropping passengers along Kibra and Dagoretti.

The new development is expected to attract a substantial proportion of the 1.5 million people who commute into Nairobi CBD every day and make commuting easier.

Last week, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the revamped Nairobi Commuter Rail Service (NCRS) and the refurbished Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs).

The system consists of new 11 DMUs and Commuter Rail Buses and has been developed within the existing railway corridors.

Read: Uhuru launches revamped city commuter rail service – PHOTOS

KR said that any passenger found not to be adhering to Covid-19 containment measures will be denied access to the commuter trains.