Kenya’s capital City, Nairobi has seen the launch of a new commuter train which is the first of its kind since independence in 1963.

The train will run between the city centre and the suburb of Syokimau, where a new railways station has been built.

With Nairobi being one of the fastest growing African cities and with a population of about three million people, traffic congestion has become more of an issue in the capital city. The train service should play a vital role in helping to ease the congestion.

It is reported that the 16.5km trip from Syokimau to Nairobi is expected to take 15 minutes, which is considerably less than a trip by car during rush hour which could take up to two hours.

President Mwai Kibaki has inaugurated the service, and is expected to be the first passenger to take the ride.