NCR launches Syokimau Rail Service

Syokimau Railway Station is the first station to be completed under the Nairobi Commuter Rail Transport (NCR). Photo/BILLY MUTAI

What you need to know:

  • Syokimau Railway Station is the first station to be completed under the NCR project more than 80 years after the last station in Butere

Kenya Railways on Tuesday launches the first phase of Nairobi Commuter Rail Transport (NCR).

The rail service will cater for commuters between Syokimau and the CBD. Read (Jam-free commuting prophesy fulfilled)

Syokimau Railway Station is the first station to be completed under the NCR project more than 80 years after the last station in Butere.

President Kibaki who will officially open the station will be among the first to make a journey on the train.

The 16.5-kilometre ride into the city centre will be aboard a cream coach.

After the commissioning, the presidential coach will be detached from the engine, and the train will begin to serve the public.

With the station’s construction and the laying of 2.2 kilometres of new railway tracks linking the station to the Nairobi-Mombasa line, the Syokimau station is a first in many ways.

Syokimau Station is the first of its kind in Kenya, with electronic tickets that are swiped to open the turnstiles. Large screens at the platform announce departure times.

Passengers will enjoy a more comfortable ride into the city centre as the old, cracked leather seats have been replaced with some comfortable green cushioned ones.

Each coach can accommodate about 70 seated and 120 standing passengers.

The station has space for cafes and shops as well as rest rooms. Escalators and a couple of lifts provide access to the upper floor, where more shops will be located.