Free train travel offered by the Nigeria Railway Corporation has been a great success, according to the Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria. At an interactive media session at the end of the year in Lagos, Okhiria said over 63,000 passengers had benefited from this government initiative across its routes.
The Director General praised the Federal Government for this measure, urging people to take advantage of this opportunity, especially during and after the festive period, through the dedicated online platform.
Okhiria also announced that the company was working on acquiring new railcars to increase the number of trains and routes between Lagos and Ibadan, as well as other routes.
He pointed out that the NRC was working in partnership with various organizations for freight transportation and railway safety. The Director General explained that the Minister had given the mandate to ensure that passenger and freight trains could operate between Lagos and Kano. The company is therefore striving to complete the tracks by the end of December.
Okhiria added that problems with vandalism had been encountered, but measures had been taken to deal with them. He notably cited the replacement of a vandalized connection between Mokua and Kano, as well as the full commissioning of the track between Warri and Itakpe.
Regarding the expansion of the railway network, Okhiria said that the laying of tracks between Port Harcourt and Maiduguri was underway. He also said that within 15 days, the road between Port-Harcourt and Aba would be completed.
As for the future of the NRC, Okhiria announced that the company plans to improve travel times of high-speed trains between Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe and Abuja-Kaduna by 2024.
Finally, he stressed that despite the removal of some subsidies, train fares have not increased and that the government will continue to support the NRC to encourage more people to opt for this affordable and safe means of transport.
In conclusion, the free train travel offered by the Nigeria Railway Corporation has been a real success, with over 63,000 passengers having already benefited. The company is also working on expanding its rail network and plans to improve existing services by 2024. The government fully supports this initiative and encourages citizens to take advantage of this affordable and safe alternative for their travel.