Original Story Published by: Bonface Otieno for Daily Nation
Photography by: Jeff Angote/NMG
(Above) Standard gauge railway station in Miritini, Mombasa.
The Kenya Railways Corporation has announced plans to build a 2-kilometre Standard Gauge Railway line linking the SGR Miritini passenger train terminus to the Central Mombasa train station.
The move is aimed at enhancing faster movement of passengers between the two locations.
Mombasa-bound passengers travelling on the SGR train from Nairobi have been alighting at the Miritini terminus, forcing them to finish the journey by road where they spend up to five hours to cover the 22 kilometre distance.
Those heading to western parts of Mombasa, including Mikindani, Moi International Airport and Jomvu, have been bearing the brunt of the traffic jam blamed on trucks carrying cargo from Mombasa port.
“The line will provide services for people leaving Syokimau train terminus to Mombasa and those coming from Mombasa to Nairobi by train via the Miritini terminus,” said Kenya Railway managing director Atanas Maina.
Speaking in Nairobi on Thursday, Mr Maina said feasibility studies to ascertain the actual cost of the project are ongoing and will take one month.
Once a feasibility study is done, he said, the project will start as soon as funds are available. Works on the high speed line, he said, will take about 12 months to complete.
“The feasibility studies and preliminary designs will help in defining the various issues relevant in determining whether the project is worthwhile or not. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), China Railway Design Corporation and APEC Consortium Limited are doing the studies.”
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