The Manager, Abuja-Kaduna Train Service, the Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC) Mr. Paschal Nnorli, has assured that the corporation was working to tackle the rising passengers pressure on the Abuja-Kaduna train service.
Recall there has been huge demand lately, on the train service following the rising insecurity on the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
The service was flagged-off by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 26th, 2016 and does on the average, 4,000 passengers per day. But the demand has far outpaced NRC’s operational capacity. The service marked 1000 days of operations this week.
Mr. Nnorli, who spoke to our correspondent at the sideline of the occasion to mark the 1000 days in operations, also said after the 1000 days in operations, the NRC had carried in excess of 1.5 million passengers to and from Kaduna.
On the recent demand crisis at the train stations, Mr. Nnorli explained that “when demand is more than supply, you are bound to have problems. Because of the current insecurity on the Abuja to Kaduna highway, the passenger surge increased over three times the existing traffic.
“The only solution is to increase the rolling stock and the government is working assiduously to make it happen because you don’t procure rolling stock off the shelf.”
According to him, by next week, a team of top government officials are going to china to inspect the rolling stock being procured as contract of about N500m has been awarded for the rolling stock only.
He confirmed the two coaches the minister of transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi ordered last week to be relocated from Itakpe-Warri rail line to Abuja-Kaduna service will be brought to augment the existing 13 coaches.
Commenting, the Chancellor, Peoples Republic of China Embassy in Nigeria Mr. Li Xuda, expressed the China embassy’s commitment to the exchange and cooperation between Nigeria and China.
He said the Abuja-Kaduna railway is the first modern railway in operation using China standard in Africa.
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