Let new railway station reflect Mombasa's growth and heritage

In a few months the whistle will ring again at the Old Mombasa Railway Station as the first passenger train in years hauls in travellers. It will be an entirely different journey as the passengers will have travelled from the modern Standard Gauge Railway station at Miritini to the Island Railway Station. Unlike the traveller from years gone by when the train set off from Nairobi, the new Metre Gauge Railway is actually a commuter line connecting the island to the mainland in the west. A lot of thought went into the project with proponents arguing passengers should be cheaply and conveniently transferred to the island where they can easily connect to other destinations.

However, the Mombasa Island, which the new Metre Gauge Railway will encounter, is very different from the one the last train visited. The old Mombasa was less densely populated and had lower traffic density. A good number of those embarking from the railway station simply walked to Mwembe Tayari to connect to other destinations. The taxi rank at the station held only a few ramshackle vehicles. Only tourists and the few upper-class travellers bothered to take a taxi. Likewise, there were only a few vehicles along the way to Mwembe Tayari. The walk to the main bus station was both leisurely and safe.

Today, the area around the railway station is one of the busiest during rush hour. As traffic volume increased, road space has remained the same. In some respects, the road space has actually shrunk as open ground previously used for temporary parking is taken up by buildings and other developments. A nearby hotel development has had to reserve a few parking slots from the county for its clientele. Parking space is a premium in the location.

Concerned with the developments at the old railway station, the county government went to court to force compliance with local codes as the national government chugged on with the project apparently deaf to local concerns. The rather arrogant attitude on the implementation of the project means many questions remain unanswered even as launch date approaches.

While traffic management quickly comes to mind, it is equally important to query what sort of amenities will be available at the station. For one, the railway station remains a historical site. The Mombasa Railway Station is the first along the old Kenya - Uganda Railway.

While the old station paid little heed to the historical origins of the railway, it's not good enough to make the same mistake twice. Even worse will be to have an edifice borrowing heavily from Chinese themes as the SGR stations have done. While our friendship with the Chinese has brought certain benefits, we should not capitulate entirely to them thereby erasing our history.

It is important that the design and prominent aspects of the station reflect its origins as the first railway station along the Lunatic Express. It should also relate to Mombasa's long history as a meeting point for civilisations with all relevant influences considered. The railway station should be an icon in the city.

Everything considered, the railway station should not just be a pit stop in the city. As with all major cities in the world, the central railway station should be a masterpiece of art and architecture. It should not only be captivating but built to tower across generations. It should be grand by design and intentionally structured to be a central hub in the city like the Grand Central Terminal in New York or Paris’s Gare de Lyon.

Its development should also be integrated into the rest of the city. Chief among the considerations is how to seamlessly connect it to the existing transport infrastructure. A key component is to redevelop the zone around the station to accommodate walkways. The idea is to cut the need for motorised transport as much as possible for most users and to keep traffic to a minimum. Consideration should also be made to open up stalled developments on the railway land to other aspects that improve commuter experience like shopping, restaurants and rest areas.

A suitable traffic management plan especially during peak hours should be worked out with the county administration. This may include limiting certain streets to non-motorised transport during certain hours to allow safe evacuation and dropping of passengers. It should be noted that while recent transport infrastructure developments in Mombasa have largely aimed to decongest the island, the railway station does the reverse. Both the new port traffic system and the Dongo Kundu bypass to the south coast aim to divert traffic away from the island.

While the new development is a welcome addition to the city, it poses some challenges. New thought must go into making it work smoothly. It should not be assumed that since there was a railway station at the location before a new one will blend into the existing infrastructure. Much thought must go into its operation. Therefore, as we approach the launch date, it is important for robust stakeholder consultations to take place to avoid blame games and snarl ups.