- Over 63,000 passengers enjoyed free train rides during the yuletide, courtesy of the Federal Government’s initiative, covering NRC services
- NRC’s Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, praised the government’s support, urged e-ticket adoption, but expressed concern over persistent track vandalization
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has reported that over 63,000 passengers benefited from the free train rides offered by the Federal Government during the yuletide period. The free train service was declared by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, covering all passenger services operated by the NRC and complemented by a 50% discount on inter-state transportation.
Engr. Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director of NRC, revealed that the 63,000 passengers were transported between December 24 and 26. The free train service commenced on December 21, 2023, and will continue until January 4, 2024. The Federal Government covered all the costs associated with offering the free train service across the system.
Okhiria commended the Federal Government for its support in making the initiative successful. He urged passengers to obtain their tickets through the website, emphasizing that tickets are not available at the various stations. The adoption of e-ticketing aims to gather appropriate information for profiling people traveling on trains.
Despite the positive news about the free train service, Okhiria also expressed concern about the persistent vandalization of tracks along railway corridors. He mentioned that over 50,000 clips were vandalized on the Lagos-Ibadan and Kaduna-Abuja rail lines, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the NRC.
NRC Faces Ongoing Challenge of Track Vandalism
Mr. Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), revealed that the corporation experienced the loss of more than 150,000 rail clips due to persistent vandalism along railway tracks across the country in 2022 and 2023. The instances of vandalism were particularly notable along the Lagos–Ibadan, Warri–Itakpe, and Abuja–Kaduna standard gauge tracks.
Speaking at an end-of-the-year media briefing in Lagos, Okhiria highlighted the challenges posed by track vandalism and the impact it has on the growth of rail networking in the country. He mentioned that the corporation had been actively engaging in sensitization efforts within communities affected by vandalism to make residents aware of the negative implications of such acts.