Enhancements planned for Mombasa rail service to boost goods transport and passenger travel
The Mombasa Commuter Rail Services (MCRS) has officially been launched, marking a significant step towards solving Mombasa's transport challenges. The Sh4.2 billion project, completed in August, includes the construction of new passenger stations in Mombasa town and Miritini.
The government has compensated communities affected by the rail construction in the Miritini area with Sh 2.1 billion. The project also involved the improvement of 16.8 kilometres of the metre gauge railway and the construction of a rail bridge along Makupa Causeway. Rehabilitation works include a 13.8-kilometre railway from Kilometre Zero in Mombasa to Miritini, and a 2.8-kilometre link to the Standard Gauge Railway terminus in Miritini.
President William Ruto considers the MCRS as a timely and vital solution to Mombasa's transport challenges. The MCRS will operate within Mombasa's logistics hubs, serving Changamwe and Miritini logistics hubs. The rehabilitated 13.8-kilometre metre-gauge railway will make stops at Miritini, Changamwe West, Changamwe East, Shimanzi, Mazeras, and the Mombasa CBD.
Tourism players led by the chairman of the Mombasa Tourism Council (MTC), Dr Sam Ikwaye, have welcomed the operationalisation of the new rail commuter service. Dr Ikwaye hopes the new rail commuter service will transform Mombasa, which Dongo Kundu and the direct bypass to Kwale have affected.
The MCRS will provide a first- and last-mile connection for commuters, visitors, and tourists. With the MCRS, the cost of commuting from the city to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Miritini will be reduced from Sh300 to Sh50. Upon full operation, the MCRS will be able to haul approximately 5000 commuters daily.
The county administration is working closely with Kenya Railways on a special traffic management plan in both Kilometre Zero and Miritini to ensure smooth operations. The government held China Road and Bridge Corporation responsible for the construction of the 2.8-kilometer connection to the Standard Gauge Railway terminus in Miritini, linked to the opening of the Mombasa Commuter Rail Services.
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