Thika Road commuters set to benefit from Sh65 billion rail upgrade

Thika Road commuters set to benefit from Sh65 billion rail upgrade

Once completed, the project is expected to reduce travel time, ease congestion along Thika Superhighway and unlock economic opportunities across Nairobi and Kiambu counties.

Kenya Railways is planning a major upgrade of the 57-kilometre Nairobi-Thika commuter rail corridor under a Sh65 billion World Bank-funded project targeting 15 stations, a move expected to provide thousands of passengers with an alternative to daily traffic congestion along Thika Superhighway.

The project targets the modernisation of 15 stations through World Bank funding.

The revamped rail corridor will directly connect Nairobi's central business district with key residential and commercial hubs across Nairobi and Kiambu counties, offering faster and more efficient travel for residents in areas such as Dandora, Githurai, Ruiru and Thika.

According to the Environmental and Social Impact Report for the Kenya Urban Mobility Improvement Project (KUMIP), the railway line will run from Nairobi Central through Kaloleni, Makadara, Mutindwa, Kariobangi South and Dandora before continuing north through KPCU, Maili Saba, Mwiki, Githurai, Kahawa West, Kenyatta University, Ruiru and Kalimoni in Juja, before terminating in Thika.

Currently, eight stations are operational: Nairobi Central, Makadara, Dandora, Mwiki, Githurai, Kahawa West, Ruiru and Thika.

Four existing stations, Kaloleni, Mutindwa, Kariobangi South and Kenyatta University, are currently non-operational but have been earmarked for rehabilitation. Three new stations will be developed at KPCU, Maili Saba and Kalimoni, bringing the total number to 15.

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The project will involve track rehabilitation, modern station infrastructure and improvements to passenger safety and accessibility.

It will also include access roads, footpaths, cycling lanes and street lighting within a one-kilometre radius of each station to enable safer and easier access to rail services for nearby residents.

"The project is aligned with Kenya Vision 2030, the Integrated National Transport Policy, and Kenya's climate change commitments under the Climate Change Act, 2016," the report notes.

It further states that, “Improved connectivity will facilitate easier movement of passengers between different transport systems, thereby reducing travel time, improving convenience, and increasing the overall efficiency of the public transport network.”

Meanwhile, Kenya Railways is constructing a maintenance hub at Makadara Railway Station, near the Kenya Pipeline Company headquarters, to service, repair and overhaul locomotives, passenger coaches and freight wagons.

The World Bank earlier this year committed $500 million, equivalent to approximately Sh65 billion, towards the transformation of the corridor.

Once completed, the project is expected to reduce travel time, ease congestion along Thika Superhighway and unlock economic opportunities across Nairobi and Kiambu counties.