The existing commuter trains are not seen as very reliableA new commuter train has been launched in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi – the first of its kind since independence in 1963.
The train will run between the city centre and the suburb of Syokimau, where Kenya has built its first train station in more than 80 years.
The service is intended to ease traffic congestion in Nairobi, one of the fastest-growing African cities with a population of about three million.
President Mwai Kibaki is scheduled to be its first commuter.
The BBC’s Wanyama Chebusiri in Nairobi says the new service will be much faster then the existing dilapidated trains and will run on a separate track.
The 16.5 km (10 miles) ride from Syokimau, in the west, to Nairobi is expected to take 15 minutes, while a car journey during rush-hour could take up to two hours, our reporter says.
The new station at Syokimau is modern – it will issue passengers with electronic tickets to swipe at turnstiles and there are also large screens to give train times, he adds.
The journey is the cheapest for any route in Nairobi, costing about $2.50 (£1.50).
Mr Kibaki has inaugurated the service, and is expected to be the first passenger to take the ride.