Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) has completed a KSh4.2 billion project linking the Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Terminus at Miritini with Mombasa Central Railway Station. The 26-kilometer rail line is ready for commissioning.
This development will allow passengers arriving via the Madaraka Express and other SGR trains to connect directly to the city center. The link also integrates the existing Metre Gauge Railway (MGR), restoring access between the port city’s historic station and its modern SGR hub.
“From this terminus, we have completed a 26-kilometer line to the Island,” said KRC Managing Director Philip Mainga during an inspection tour by the National Assembly Committee on Implementation.
Construction began in September 2022 but faced delays due to land acquisition disputes. The Ministry of Transport later allocated KSh1.1 billion to the National Land Commission to secure required land, which unlocked the project’s progress.
The infrastructure includes four new mini-stations in Miritini, Shimanzi, Changamwe East, and Changamwe West. A 480-meter railway bridge spans the Makupa Causeway, and a pedestrian bridge now connects the SGR and MGR platforms. The Mombasa Central Railway Station, first built in the colonial era, has also been restored.
The commuter service is part of Kenya’s broader Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) plan, which includes the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system aimed at easing road congestion and improving mobility for city dwellers.
Mainga stated that KRC remains financially stable and encouraged the public to travel by rail and see the freight volumes moving daily through Mombasa Port.
“I want to invite Kenyans to see the volumes of cargo we are moving every day,” he said.
Committee Chair Raphael Wanjala praised KRC’s performance and confirmed that the Madaraka Express has carried 15.3 million passengers and moved over 39.7 million metric tons of cargo since operations began. He urged KRC to increase the number of daily trains from 14 to 18 to boost trade and connectivity.
“They are doing very well,” Wanjala said. “And we have only three years left before clearing the loan we took from the People’s Republic of China.”
Wanjala also dismissed claims that the Port of Mombasa was collateral for the SGR loan.
“KRC stands on its own. It has its own money and is repaying its loans without problems,” he added.
Mandera South MP Abdul Haro praised Kenya’s progress in freight logistics and called on the national government to expand support so the railway system can reach full capacity.
The delegation included lawmakers from across the country who echoed calls for the SGR to be extended to the Malaba border, reinforcing Kenya’s role as a key transit route for landlocked neighbors.
