Actors dressed in traditional costumes dance to celebrate the commissioning of the Mombasa commuter railway service at the Mombasa Terminus of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
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. ■
A meter-gauge commuter train is pictured at the Miritini SGR terminus in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
Actresses dressed in traditional costumes dance to celebrate the commissioning of the Mombasa commuter railway service at the Mombasa Terminus of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
People take a meter-gauge commuter train in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
Kenyan President William Ruto (2nd R, front) cuts the ribbon for a new station building of a commuter railway at the Mombasa Railway Station in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
People are pictured in a train carriage of the Mombasa commuter railway service at the Miritini SGR terminus in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
A meter-gauge commuter train is pictured in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
Kenyan President William Ruto speaks at a ceremony to commission the Mombasa commuter railway service at the Mombasa Railway Station in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
This photo taken on Sept. 17, 2025 shows a transfer platform (L) of the Mombasa commuter railway service and a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) platform (R) at the Mombasa Terminus of the Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Mombasa, Kenya, on Sept. 17, 2025. 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.(Xinhua/Yang Guang)
