Nigeria dithers as Nairobi airport-rail link opens 2021

While Nigeria foot- drags on l i n king its airports with railway systems and the issue that is of very strategic importance for economic being either grossly undermined, over politicised and downplayed by the authorities , the government ok Kenya is walking the talk with the proposed linkage of the rail tracks between central Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

President Uhuru Kenyatta made the commitment to completing a commuter rail connection to east Africa’s largest airport after touring Nairobi Central station with French president Emanuel Marcon, who was Kenya for a state visit two months ago.

Uhuru Kenyatta had announced on March 13 that a rail link between central Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) will be completed in 2021.

Kenyatta Macron says France and Kenya have signed deals worth €3bn during his visit and Kenyatta says the airport rail link will be completed in partnership with a French consortium.

“A properly functioning urban commuter rail system and Bus Rapid Transit system in our cities, particularly here in Nairobi, will

completely transform the lives of millions of urban dwellers as well as make Nairobi a wonderful experience for tourists and visitors,” Kenyatta says. “Our target is to have 500,000 urban commuters moving freely daily within the next 12 months. This number will grow to over a million commuters daily within the next five years.”

Kenya’s Ministry of Transport recently concluded an agreement to acquire 11 metre-gauge DMUS from Mallorca to increase capacity on the Nairobi commuter rail network.

Last year September, the Abuja Rail Mass Transit commenced commercial train services on the Airport-idu-central Area metro line, two months after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) offered free services to passengers travelling from the Idu airport station take-off point to the city centre following the inauguration of the metro line by President Muhammadu Buhari in July.