Seventeen companies have bid for the design of the Nairobi Commuter Railway project that is expected to link the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and the city centre via the city's Central Railway Station.
The project, estimated to cost between Sh25 billion and Sh30 billion, is expected to increase the current carrying capacity of the rail from 19,000 to 100,000 passengers per day.

This entails the rehabilitation of the Nairobi railway lines, the construction of stations and workshops, and the provision of purpose-built rolling stock.
Prequalification for the detailed design, engineering, construction and long-term contract operation of the railway line have been sent to the Kenya Railways Corporation (KR) and InfraCo – A company owned by the World Bank and six other international donor agencies
“The levels of response and interest in this project are very high, and the number of firms and consortia that responded to the prequalification phase reflects the high degree of confidence shown towards the project,” noted Gad Cohen, a partner with EleQtra, the Manager of InfraCo Africa.
The system - that will ease congestion and reduce traffic into and out of the city centre - will comprise 10-15 commuter train sets operating over 4 lines, one of which will be a new express link to JKIA from the Nairobi Central Station.
Kenya Railways and InfraCo - signed a joint development agreement to upgrade and expand the commuter rail transport services in Nairobi and its environs in 2009.
International companies such as Hyundai, Samsung and POSCO from Korea, Chinese rail companies and rail companies from Europe as well as Aveng Grinaker and Basil Read Read from Africa are among those that applied to be considered for the provision of the services.