Kenya Railways Corporation has announced the suspension of Thursday morning commuter train services to Lukenya and Syokimau following a blockage on the railway line at Mukuru.
In a public notice issued on Wednesday evening, the corporation cited operational disruption caused by the obstruction and assured commuters that efforts are underway to restore normal services.
“Kindly note that owing to a blockage of the line at Mukuru, the morning link trains to Lukenya and Syokimau will not run. Our team is on the ground working to ensure that normal services are restored as soon as possible,” the notice read.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and will notify you once normal services resume.”
The unexpected suspension is set to significantly impact Nairobi commuters, many of whom rely on the early morning trains to navigate the city’s heavy traffic and reach their workplaces on time.
This incident comes amid Kenya Railways’ broader plans to modernize the Nairobi Commuter Rail Network, a project aimed at enhancing urban mobility.
In February, the corporation disclosed that it was seeking $670 million (approximately sh86.43 billion) in funding from the World Bank under the Kenya Urban Mobility Improvement Project (KUMIP).
The ambitious project includes the rehabilitation and upgrading of the track between Nairobi Central Station (NCS) and Thika, capacity expansion, and the development of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) infrastructure.
Other components of the plan include:
- Improved access to commuter stations through non-motorised transport (NMT) and feeder buses
- Acquisition of new multiple-engine trainsets
- Enhanced communication and signalling systems
- Implementation of green mobility solutions
- Introduction of automatic fare collection and better traffic management
The Ministry of Transport, through a statement by the Principal Secretary, emphasized the project’s goal of integrating public transportation and reducing congestion in Nairobi and its suburbs.
As of now, no timeline has been given for the restoration of services affected by the Mukuru blockage, but updates are expected as the repair teams assess the situation.
Commuters are advised to seek alternative transport options for Thursday morning.
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