The construction of the first phase of KES 27.8 billion Nairobi Railway City has begun. This follows the UK’s pledge of £80 million (KES 11.9 billion) to construct an eco-friendly city on Kenya Railways property, complete with office buildings, shopping centres, and a light industrial centre.
President William Ruto presided over the project’s groundbreaking, which involves redeveloping the Nairobi Central Railway station and surrounding areas into “The Nairobi Railway City,” a multi-modal, transit-oriented urban development.
Kenya Railways Managing Director Phillip Mainga stated that Phase One’s early works would include building a pedestrian footbridge over the Nairobi Railway Yard, constructing a new Nairobi Central Railway station, and a public square.
Owing to its strategic location, The Nairobi Central Station area will be developed into an iconic nerve centre for the Nairobi Multimodal Transport System.
Kenya Railways Managing Director – Phillip Mainga
The construction project, sponsored by the Kenyan and UK governments, is divided into phases and aims to complete by 2030. The project involves hoarding, securing, and relocating the railway station, paving the Kenya Railways Headquarters driveway and car park, and creating a new structural steel locomotive shed at the Makadara Yard. In addition, the project includes a detailed drainage overhaul within the Nairobi Railway yard.
Furthermore, the project aims to create a transit hub with multi-modal transport facilities, regenerate the area around the Nairobi Central Station, and expand Nairobi to the South East. It also seeks to provide a liveable and sustainable urban space and an iconic development to position Nairobi as a leading world city and commercial hub. The project gained momentum early last year after a UK consortium won the contract to design the new modern station’s Rail Transit System (RTS).
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