Low Passenger Traffic As Abuja-Kaduna Train Resumes

The Abuja-Kaduna train operation on Monday resumed operation after 251 days of suspension.

The service was suspended on 28 March after an attack on the rail tracks by bandits.

The Management of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), over the weekend, announced that the train service would resume on Monday.

The Nation correspondent boarded the train from Idu to Kubwa stations in Abuja to monitor the resumption of the service.

At the car park in Idu, a few cars were seen at the park about 30 minutes before the take-off of the first train, indicating a low turn out of passengers.

Two traders were sighted at the entrance selling face masks.

Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were also seen at the entrance of the station indicating the presence of security.

At the ticketing points, there were about five points of sale. The National Identification Number (NIN) and phone number were demanded from interested passengers before the issuance of tickets.

Passengers without NIN were not issued tickets despite pleas.

In confirmation of the hike in ticket fare, the Abuja-Kaduna train service from Idu to Rigasa has been pegged at N9,000 for 24-seater coaches, N6,500 for 56 and 68-seater coaches and N3,600 for 88-seater coaches while minors are expected to pay N3,000.

Before the attack, the Abuja-Kaduna train from Idu to Rigasa was pegged at N7,000 for 24-seater coaches, N5,000 for 56 and 68-seater coaches and between N2,600 to N3,000 for 88-seater coaches depending on the time of the trip while minors paid N1,500.

The Nation correspondent who purchased a ticket and proceeded to the entrance of the station where she was scanned and proceeded to the platform to board the train said, majority of the coaches were empty and the few with passengers had few passengers.
The Nation