KENYA Railways has announced plans to develop commuter rail services in Kenya's three cities. It will start train services within the Nairobi Metropolitan, Mombasa and Kisumu City. The transporter said the development of the Nairobi Metropolitan is at implementation stage while the development of Mombasa and Kisumu is at concept stage. Phase one of the Nairobi route will cover 100 kilometres and will provide modern commuter rail services between Nairobi Railway station and Ruiru, Embakasi Village, Jomo Kenyatta Airport and Kikuyu. This phase will cost Sh16 billion according to managing director Nduva Muli.

Phase two will extend the services to Thika, Lukenya and Limuru while phase three will provide services on new rail lines to be built to Ngong, Kiserian and Ongata Rongai to the South, Kiambu to the North and Ruai to the North East of Nairobi. "The project is aimed at providing fast, reliable, safe and affordable commuter rail services within the Nairobi Metropolitan," Muli said when he led a team of Government officials on a site tour of Syokimau railway station currently under construction. "The whole project is due to be completed by the end of 2014." He said the Syokimau- Nairobi line will help decongest Mombasa Road by transferring some of the commuter traffic to the railway. The facility will serve commuters from Syokimau, Mlolongo, Athi River, Kitengela, Machakos and Kajiado.