• Commuters will purchase tickets on board.
• Kenya Railways issued NRC Bus schedule for Westlands, Yaya and Upper Hill.
Image: ANDREW KASUKU
Tired of matatus?
Travellers can now take Nairobi Commuter Rail Buses as an alternative to matatu transport turmoil. They are running now.
Kenya Railways has introduced the Nairobi Commuter Rail bus service that will initially play three routes.
On Sunday, Kenya Railways issued a notice with the schedule for NRC routes to Westlands, Yaya and Upper Hill.
“Welcome to the NCR Bus Service by KRC. Enjoy a convenient connection of road and rail transport. Alight one, board the other in a few minutes," the notice read.
Commuters will purchase their tickets on board.
Kenya Railways reminded commuters to maintain and observe Covid-19 preventive protocol.
“First things first, please wear a mask, wash your hands often and avoid unnecessary body contact," the notice read.
Once a commuter alights from the train at the station he or she will have a choice to board the NRC buses, depending on destination.
For the Westlands route, commuters will pay a fixed charge of Sh30. The bus will pass through Jevanjee-Museum Hill-CFC Stanbic-Chromo-Westlands Bus Terminus-Brookside-Safaricom-ABSA- ABC Palace and James Gichuru.
The first bus will leave Nairobi Central Terminus at 7.45am and arrive at WBT at 8.08am. Another will leave WBT at 8.12am to reach the CBD at 8.35am.
A bus will leave the CBD at 8.35am to arrive at ABC at 9.15am, while another will leave NCS at 4pm and arrive at WBT at 430pm.
At 7.44am, a bus will leave the railway station at 7.44am and arrive at ABC at 8.17am. Another will leave ABC at 8.18am and arrive at Railways Station at 8.55am.
At 9.16am, a bus will leave ABC to arrive at Railways Station at 9.55am, while at 4.40pm, a bus will be leaving WBT to arrive at Railways Station at 5.10pm.
For the Yaya schedule, the key destinations are Serena, Integrity Centre, Chancery, Maktaba Kuu, Nairobi Hospital, DoD, Hurlingham, Chaka Place and Yaya Centre. The fixed charge is Sh50.
The first NCR bus will leave Railways Station at 7.55am and arrive at Yaya Centre at 8.30am, while another bus will leave Yaya at 833am and arrive in the CBD at 9.05am.
Another bus will leave Railways Station at 4pm and arrive at Yaya Centre at 4.30pm, while another bus will leave Yaya at 4.35pm to arrive in the CBD at 5.15pm.
Commuters will have to pay Sh50 for the Upper Hill route. Buses will pass through Meladin, KMA, CIC, Britam, TSC, Kadhii Court, CBC, Kasneb and Kenyatta National Hospital.
The first bus will leave Railways station at 7.45am and arrive at KNH at 8.06am. At 8.07am, a bus will be leaving KNH to arrive at Railways Station at 8.20am.
Another bus will be leaving Railways at 8.35am, arriving at KNH at 8.59am.
At 9am, abus will leaving KNH to arrive in the CBD 12 minutes later. Another bus will leave NCS at 4.10pm to reach KNH at 4.35 pm.
The last NRC bus will leave KNH at 4.36pm to arrive in the CBD at 5pm.
Less than five months ago on November 10, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the Nairobi Commuter Rail System.
The project has reduced both vehicular and human traffic congestion.
Kenya Railways aims to carry as many as 230,000 passengers daily.
The commuter rail is part of the Master Plan of an integrated commuter system within the city and its environs. It also comprises the Bus Rapid Transit, monorail and underground rail.
The Nairobi Commuter Rail Service (NCR) was introduced in May 1992 in response to a series of strikes by the matatu minibus operators.
Over the years, demand has been low, which, according to the new managing director has been due to poor standards of the station facilities
Commuter trains currently run on the Nairobi-Imara Daima-Syokimau route, the Nairobi-Githurai-Mwiki-Kahawa-Ruiru route, Nairobi-Embakasi route and the Nairobi-Kibera-Kikuyu route.
(Edited by V. Graham)