The first rapid rail service for Kenya's capital, Nairobi is expected to be completed by mid next year.
Transport permanent secretary Cyrus Njiru said Wednesday that treasury had released 800 million shillings for the project which is expected to ease transport in the Eastlands parts of the city and the surrounding areas.
Tenders have already been awarded for the rail service which will stretch from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the city centre.
This is part of the greater Nairobi transportation master-plan to be implemented in phases.
Last year Kenya signed a joint venture agreement with a London based infrastructure development company InfraCo for an 8 billion shillings upgrade and expansion of Nairobi's decrepit rail commuter service system.
The JKIA-City centre route will be the first line to be commissioned to serve the region.
According to data from Kenya Railways, the trains serving the city currently ferry about 19,000 people daily.
Once the project is completed the system is expected to ferry more than 90,000 passengers,bringing more than 7.3 million shillings daily.
The company will also put up a multi storeyed parking facility in Mombasa to ease parking problems. And in order to de-congest Nairobi city the government has planned to implement the Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transit Programme to improve accessibility within the metropolitan region through a new bus system with designated bus lanes.
The bus rapid transit system will start with three transport corridors namely, Athi River town to Kikuyu town, Thika to the central business district and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the CBD.
