MOMBASA, Kenya, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday commissioned the Mombasa commuter railway service that will link downtown sections of the port city to a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) terminus, which will ease the mobility of passengers and goods.
Senior government officials, industry executives, and local leaders graced the commissioning of the project linking the Miritini SGR terminus, located northwest of Mombasa, to the central business district.
Undertaken by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) since August 2022, the project covered 16.8 km of meter-gauge railway, part of which was originally built by British colonialists more than a century ago.
During implementation, the CRBC constructed 2.9 km of new sections and rehabilitated 13.9 km of the old meter-gauge railway.
Ruto highly praised the Chinese company’s project, saying that it has made significant contributions to Kenya’s infrastructure development and public welfare, and will help position Mombasa as a gateway for trade and economic activities in East Africa.
Ruto said the Mombasa commuter rail service will offer seamless mobility to passengers coming from the port city’s central business district to the SGR terminus in Miritini. “With this new service, journeys will be faster, safer, and more predictable,” Ruto said.
“It will cut time between Mombasa and the SGR terminal, reduce road gridlocks, lower accidents and costs, and provide residents with a modern, affordable, and reliable transport and travel option,” he added.
Besides enhancing last-mile connectivity for passengers using the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR commuter service, known as Madaraka Express, the rail service will also serve local commuters along the corridor, charging 50 Kenya shillings (about 0.39 U.S. dollars), Ruto said.
Wang Lijun, general manager of the CRBC, said the Mombasa commuter rail service aligns with the objectives of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, enhancing connectivity, skills development, and job creation.
The project, according to Wang, created about 800 local jobs, with local employees accounting for over 90 percent of the workforce whose skills were upgraded during its implementation.
