More stations to ease traffic
The new Makadara and Imara Daima railway stations will be opened next month, as the government announced plans to construct of 21 other stations.
The two are expected to significantly ease traffic congestion on Jogoo and Mombasa roads.
The Makadara station will serve over 5000 commuters a day and has a parking space for more than 150 cars.
It will serve residents from the estates along Jogoo road, Hamza road, Buruburu and Donholm.
At its full operation, the Imara Daima station will handle over 2,000 commuters from Industrial Area, Imara Daiman, Embakasi North and estates on Mombasa Road. It has a parking space for 200 cars.
Ambitious construction
Speaking during a tour of the two stations, Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau said plans are also underway to build a railway to connect the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the Embakasi station.
He said it should be complete by December 2014.
The Imara Daima and the Makadara stations are the latest addition in a plan that will see 26 stations built in the Nairobi Metropolitan to ease traffic congestion.
Mr Kamau said the Syokimau station, the first to be opened in 2012 under the ambitious construction plan was “a success.”
“The public has shown a positive response and even proposed various ways of improving the services,” he said.
He said the construction of 21 other stations was underway.
According to a the Cabinet secretary, the plan is aimed at upgrading the existing meter gauge railway network within the Nairobi metropolitan in anticipation of a massive population increase.
He termed it as an integrated transport solution that will include commuter rail, private cars, rapid transit bus Monorail and underground rail.
According to the master plan, Waiyaki Way, Mombasa, Lang’ata, Ngong, Kiambu, Thika,Juja, Jogoo and Kangundo roads have been identified as the nine transport corridors.
He was accompanied by the chairman of the Parliamentary committee on Transport, public works and housing Maina Kamanda who said his committee was keen on improving infrastructure in the city.
“We are determined to offer residents of Nairobi safe and avoidable means of transport,” he said.
The government has been pusing for railway transport because it is cheap.