Nairobi-Ruiru commuter train services resume after two-week suspension
A commuter train at the Nairobi Railway Station.
What you need to know:
- Kenya Railways suspended all commuter train services due to flooding in various parts of Nairobi.
- Kahawa West residents who commute on the 9am train have been left out of the new update
The Kenya Railways Corporation has announced the resumption of the Nairobi-Ruiru commuter train services after they were suspended two weeks ago due to heavy rains that pounded the country.
In a statement, the corporation said that the train will resume normal schedule on Monday, May 20, when the first train leaves the Ruiru station at 6am and arrives at Nairobi Central station at 7:30am.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to do everything possible to restore normalcy to the entire commuter service,” part of the statement read.
However, Kahawa West residents who commute on the 9am train have been left out of the new update, with Kenya Railways stating that the commuter train will remain suspended until further notice.
“As per the normal schedule, the train will depart from Ruiru station at 6:00am and arrive at Nairobi Central station at 7:30am. However, the Kahawa train departing from Kahawa West at 9:00 am will remain suspended until further notice,” it added.
On May, 2, Kenya Railways suspended all commuter train services due to flooding in various parts of Nairobi, leaving thousands of city dwellers stranded.
In a public notice, the operator said it had been forced to suspend operations from Nairobi Central Railway Station as large sections of the track remain under water.
A week later, Kenya Railways announced the resumption of services on the Embakasi Village to Lukenya route as well as the SGR Link train to Syokimau.
“We are pleased to inform the public that commuter train services will resume Tomorrow, Tuesday, 7th of May 2024, on the following routes: Embakasi Village, Lukenya, The SGR Link train and Syokimau,” it said then.
However, the Limuru and Ruiru routes remained suspended due to ongoing repair works on the railway lines following heavy rains.
“Please note that commuter services for Limuru and Ruiru remain suspended due to ongoing track repair works on those lines. We also wish to advise the public that commuter train services are subject to change at short notice, depending on weather conditions and other safety considerations,” it added.
The company said it was compelled to take the precautionary measure for the sake of passengers' safety owing to the prevailing adverse weather conditions.
