40 New Coaches Refurbished to Ease Thika Superhighway Traffic Jam

Kenyans ought not to squeeze themselves into areas surrounding the Central Business District (CBD) any more since areas like Ruiru are now, more than ever, ideal for people working within the CBD after the Kenya Railways (KR) refurbished 40 coaches.

The coaches will commute the Ruiru- town centre route and will be commissioned next week easing the budget of bus fare for the commuters.

The new coaches are expected to ease congestion on the Thika superhighway and return sanity on the crowded route.

Kenya Railways said that it is seeking to grow commuter numbers from the current 300,000 passengers monthly in Nairobi to over two million in the next two years.

“The first batch of 20 coaches will be operational in July as part of a more comprehensive programme to decongest Nairobi traffic,” KR managing director Philip Maingi said on Monday adding that it was part of their masterplan for Nairobi to phase out old coaches which would be dilapidated as the new ones got introduced.

The Ruiru-Nairobi railway route is served by 20 coaches with a trip from Ruiru to Nairobi costing 50 shillings by train.

Train fares unlike matatus, do not fluctuate regularly depending on the hour of the day or the weather.

“We have been rehabilitating the coaches in phases and we have made good progress for operating the railway line with modern refurbished coaches together with the new UDM that will be coming on board soon,’’ Mr Maingi informed.

The coaches were overhauled, according to Mr Maingi, were refurbished and remodelled as part of the initiatives to modernize and upgrade the Nairobi Commuter Rail Service which serves the capital city’s Central Business District and residential areas within the city and its environs.

Commuters set to largely benefit from the coaches include those from Ruiru, Juja, Kahawa Wendani, Githurai 45, Mwiki, Dandora and Makadara.

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