The managing director and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr Fidet Okhiria, has disclosed that the Kaduna-Kano train service will commence operation in the first quarter of 2025.
The managing director made the disclosure during inspection at the Rigasa train station in Kaduna yesterday following recent cases of vandalism on the corridor.
He said, “The Kaduna-Kano train is coming up, the track has gotten to Makarfi Local Government Area from Kano, and we are hoping that by early next year, people would be able to arrive from Abuja to Kano.”
Okhiria, however, lamented how the rising cost of diesel and insecurity are hindering train operations in the country.
He said, “When we started, the patronage was high, but after the incident in March 2023, things stepped down. We were running 10 trains then, but after the incident, as well as the rising cost of diesel, we had to limit the number of trains.
“At the time we started, diesel was between N230 and N280 per litre, but it now costs between N1,000 and N2,000, depending on the supplier. But because rail is for the people, government decided to maintain the price.”
On vandalism he said, “The federal government is taking measures to further secure trains and other components. We are on top of the insecurity situation. We are talking with the commissioner of police and other security agencies to further provide security for our customers and against the incessant removal of sleepers on the track because many people ride on the train.
“Security is a top priority because our trains also carry goods. For instance, we are carrying pipelines from Itakpe in Warri. We have started carrying containers from Lagos to Kaduna, Lagos to Idah and Lagos to Kano.
“We will continue to liaise with security agencies to ensure that rail is taken seriously. Right now, we provide air surveillance on the Abuja-Kaduna train, and sooner or later, it will be extended to other parts.”
