Park and ride concept is one of the transport demand strategies adopted by engineers and transport planners to address the problem of traffic congestion experienced in urban areas. The purpose of this study was to establish the factors that influence usage of rail transport by private motorists at Syokimau Railway Station which is located in Nairobi County in Kenya. The research objectives were as follows :- to determine how parking cost differential between Nairobi Central Business District and Syokimau park and ride facility influence usage of rail transport by private motorists at Syokimau park and ride station, to assess the extent to which train schedule at Syokimau railway station influences usage of rail transport by private motorists at Syokimau park and ride station, to establish how passenger comfort influences usage of rail transport by private motorists at Syokimau park and ride station and to establish how the catchment area influences usage of rail transport by private motorists at Syokimau park and ride station. The target population was 255 subjects comprising of 250 private motorists and 5 Syokimau station managers/supervisors. This was arrived at by taking the highest number of private cars that have ever parked at Syokimau station in any single day. Krejcie and Morgan table (1970) was used to arrive at a sample size of 155. The study used descriptive survey research design. Structured questionnaire were administered to the private motorists whereas interview schedules were administered to the five managers/supervisors at Syokimau park and ride station. The findings show that 65.4 percent of respondents stated less parking charges at Syokimau station encourages them to use Syokimau Commuter train, 80.3 percent of the respondents observes that the train schedule at Syokimau station is reliable. However, 62.7 percent of the respondents claimed that Kenya Railways did not give feedback to complaints raised. The study concludes that the major obstacles influencing usage of rail transport by private motorists at Syokimau railway station negatively are dilapidated railway infrastructure, poor customer care services and inadequate train frequency. The study recommends similar studies to be extended to other park and ride facilities within Nairobi Commuter Network as well as study on influence of fuel cost on usage of rail transport by private motorists in Kenya.

Keywords : Usage of Rail Transport by Private Motorist at Syokimau Park and Ride station- habitual practice of taking rail transport at Syokimau railway station by private motorists.