• The daily number of passengers transported in recent years has been as low as 13,000 on five rail lines.
• Unreliable locomotive fleet, unsatisfactory levels of comfort, limited-service timetable, among other problems, have been blamed for such a low volume.
Image: FILE
The demand for rail transport within the Nairobi Metropolitan region is expected to hit 1.4 million passengers per week by 2030.
A report titled Development of Commuter Rail Masterplan for the Nairobi Metropolitan Region shows that there will be 127,000 trips in the peak morning hours per week. It says the daily number of passengers transported in recent years has been as low as 13,000 on five rail lines.
Unreliable locomotive fleet, unsatisfactory levels of comfort, limited-service timetable, among other problems, have been blamed for such a low volume.
“Clearly, to move from the current low levels of operation to cater for the 2030 levels will require serious improvements in the supply of railway services,” the report says.
The report is a component of the National Urban Transport Improvement Project, which is funded by the government through financing credit from the World Bank.
The work is being undertaken by Dar Al-Handasah Consultants (Shair & Partners), founder members of the Dar Group, who were commissioned by KR through competitive international bidding.
The report says the six new towns identified in the Spatial Concept will be 50 per cent developed by 2030, with 50,000 people in each. For instance, Konza city has the ultimate intended capacity of 260,000 people, with Phase 1 A providing homes for the first 5,000.
“We have assumed 20 per cent build-out ( 52,000 people) by 2030; and Tatu City (with an eventual intended capacity of 150,000 people) is one-third complete,” the report states.
Traffic Flow
The flow in each direction is typically around 10,000-11,000 vehicles per hour, rising to 14,000-15,000 in the busiest hour. “For the busiest three hours in the AM peak ( 0600-0900 ) 313,000 people cross the cordon into the CBD, with 111,000 in the busiest hour ( 0700-0800 hrs).”
The report says the busiest three hours in the PM peak ( 1700-2000 hr), 240,000 people exit the CBD, with 86,000 in the busiest hour ( 1800-1900 hr). The AM peak is, therefore, around 30 per cent busier.
On Thika Superhighway near Kenyatta University, there were 21,157 private cars in 2013 compared to 7,661 public vehicles, bringing the total to 28,818. There were 35,317 private cars along the corridor in 2018 and 13,288 public vehicles, bringing the total to 48,605.
On Mombasa Road near Syokimau railway station, there were 22,531 private cars and 3,159 public cars in 2013, totalling 25,690. In 2018, there were 28,214 private cars and 8,259 public cars, bringing the total to 36,473.
On Waiyaki Way corridor near Uthiru, there were 12,753 private cars and 6,333 public service cars in 2013 bringing the total to 19,086. This increased to 16,425 private cars in 2018 and 8,143 public cars bringing a total to 24,568.
On Magadi Road near Rongai, there were 9,542 private cars in 2013 and 4,383 public cars, bringing the total to 13,925. This increased to 10,343 private cars in 2018 and 3,020 public cars bringing the total to 13,363.
On the Eastern Bypass near Kangundo Road junction, there were 13,108 private cars and 668 public cars in 2013 bring the total to 13,776. This rose to 8,821 private cars and 2,112 public cars in 2018, bringing the total to 10,933.
In 2013, there were 7,153 private cars on Ngong Road around Bul Bul and 2,431 public cars, totalling 9,584. In 2018, this increased to 9,109 private and 1,949 public bringing a total to 11,058.
On Kiambu Road near Runda Police, there were 7,671 private cars and 2,662 public vehicles in 2013, bringing the total to 10,333. This increased to 9,738 private cars in 2018 and 2,343 public service vehicles — 12,081 in total.
On the Southern Bypass near Dagoreti road junction, there were 5,984 private cars in 2013 and 1,923 public service vehicles, bringing a total to 7,907. This increased to 13,874 private cars in 2018 and 524 public service vehicles bringing the total to 14,398.
The report notes that the new commuter rail infrastructure planned for the city and its neighbouring towns implies that Kenya Railways must increase its current management capacity. Its workforce consists of 223 people, of which 122 have university degrees.
“KR has difficulty retaining technical teams, probably due to the inadequate budget, and salary levels, which means that it is also difficult to maintain skills levels in KR”.
Bus Rapid Transport
Last week, Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority CEO Francis Gitau said the commuter railway is set to complement the much-awaited bus rapid transit.
Namata was established by President Uhuru Kenyatta on February 9, 2017. It covers Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Murang’a counties and is mandated to establish an integrated, efficient, effective and sustainable public transport system.
The government intends to improve the infrastructure of the Thika Superhighway to accommodate the piloting of the project. The project will be carried out in two phases under one contract. The first section will be between Clayworks to the Nairobi CBD while the second phase will start from Clayworks to Ruiru. Gitau said the tender will be returned January 27.
“A window of 14 days will be for appeals and another 14 days for evaluation. This means the award and commencement should be at the beginning of April,” he said.
Under the tender, Namata said the improvement will be undertaken as a design and build contract. The contractor will take obligation on detailed designs and obligations on the construction.
Gitau said they will be shifting the risks of design and construction to the contractor. The project will be carried out in two phases under one contract. The first section will be between Clayworks to the Nairobi CBD while the second phase will start from Clayworks to Ruiru.
The government is keen on the project to provide reliable commuter transport. Authorities say it will decongest the central business district, ease transport woes, and reduce travel time and air pollution.
Gitau said the project will proceed only if money is allocated in the financial year 2020-21. At least Sh7 billion is needed.
“You cannot do the corridor halfway, if you do 90 per cent, you have done zero work. Corridor development must be 100 per cent,” he said.
The money will be for stations, signalling gadgets, bus depot, park and ride service and the improvement of Thika road. This, he said, will improve the aesthetic value of the road to serve the motorized traffic and public transport.
Gitau warned that navigating Nairobi will be a disaster in the next 10 years unless there is good public transport. “We might be forced to create a new city as Nairobi will then be choked,” he said.