Kenya’s government has commenced expansion plans on the Nairobi Central Railway station to increase its capacity. The aim is to ease congestion and improve connectivity within the country’s capital. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) from the Kenya Railways Corporation already outlines the scope. Phase one of the Nairobi Railway City project entails addition of other facilities.

These include 2-level buildings as well as station entrances and exits. It also includes platforms and canopies and access footbridge to ease access to the station. According to Kenya Railways, some of the notable developments will take place on the East side of the heritage building. This is where a new entrance building will connect directly to a platform bridge with access to all platforms.

Furthermore, the corporation is set to construct a smaller facility at the West. The facility will provide pass gender exiting points as well as the construction of a second platform bridge. To the South of the station, another entrance and exit are to be constructed. It will be similar to those of the Northern side. This means the entrance and exit would be possible from any platform to both the north and south of the city. The project aligns with the Nairobi rail expansion plan, a 165-kilometer rail project being implemented by the government and the World Bank.

Project Factsheet

Project: Nairobi Central Railway Station expansion

Implementing Agency: Kenya Railways Corporation

Objective: Increase capacity and reduce congestion

Platform Capacity: Expansion from 2 to 9 platforms

Key Works: New entrances/exits, additional platforms, footbridges, canopies

Integration: Rail, BRT, and pedestrian transport

Status: ESIA completed, planning underway

Impact: Higher passenger capacity and improved urban connectivity

Outlook on the Nairobi Central Railway Station Expansion

The expansion of the Nairobi Central Railway Station will be fundamental in ensuring that passengers have an easy time getting from one place to another. “A key part of the station development will be increasing capacity from two platforms to nine platforms. It will facilitate a significant increase in passenger demand and proposed new services,” the report stated.

The ESIA report notes the project will redevelop the station into a multimodal transport interchange. Furthermore, it will integrate rail, BRT, and pedestrian movement. The project will also convert the current congested matatu and bus parking areas into public parks, plazas, and recreational spaces. However, the assessment found that the construction phase will present challenges such as noise, dust, traffic disruption, and waste generation in the surrounding areas.

However, it also notes that these impacts can be managed through proposed mitigation measures. These are measures proposed by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). They include conducting regular noise survey programmes and maintaining construction equipment to handle the noise. Developing long-term biodiversity landscape enhancement is also part of the measures. On managing waste, practicing waste segregation during the construction of the facilities is advised. Minimizing machine idling time is also proposed likely to mitigate traffic disruptions.