Train attack: 186 now confirmed safe, 22 missing, 51 others unreachable – Newstrends
Connect with us

Railway

Train attack: 186 now confirmed safe, 22 missing, 51 others unreachable

Published

on

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has confirmed the safety of 186 passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna train attacked by terrorists last Monday’s near Kaduna, representing an increase of 14 persons from the last tally.

It also said in the latest statement that 22 passengers had been reported missing by their relatives; the phones of 35 people on the train manifest were ringing when called but no-one responded; just as the mobile phone numbers of 51 others were unreachable.

The development is coming exactly one week after the train was attacked in the Kateri-Rijana area of the state.

Musa-Lawal Ozigi, TUC secretary-general; Akin Akinsola, TUC Kwara chairman; and Chinelo Nwando Megafu, a dental surgeon, were among those who died in the attack

Giving an update in a statement issued on Sunday, the NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria, said, “Fifty-one phone numbers on the manifest are either switched off or not reachable since Tuesday morning.”

READ ALSO:

He said 35 phone numbers “are ringing but no response from the other end” while 60 phone numbers, when called, are said to be non-existent.

“Two coaches earlier re-railed were safely moved to Rigasa Station. This brings the total number of recovered coaches and safely moved to NRC stations to 7,” he said.

“Intensive work continues on track repairs. More concrete sleepers were moved to site while some section of twisted tracks has been straightened.”

Since the incident, only eight passengers on board the train have been confirmed dead.

The NRC had announced the suspension of the Abuja-Kaduna railway operations following the attack.

The statement is presented below:

In our quest to keep the general public informed with on-going development regarding the clearing of the incident site (recovery of the rolling stock, repairs of the track) and status of Passengers that were on-board the AK 9 train of Monday 28th March 2022, the Corporation hereby provide the following  updates as at end of work today 3rd April, 2022:

  • Two (2No.) Coaches (SP 00016 and SP 00017) earlier re-railed were safely moved to Rigasa Station. This brings the total number of recovered Coaches and safely moved to NRC Stations to 7No.
  • Intensive work continues on track repairs. More concrete Sleepers were moved to site while some section of twisted tracks has been straightened.
  • Of the 362 validated passengers on board the attacked AK9 train service on 28th April 2022,
    • 186 persons on the manifest are confirmed to be safe and at their various homes (Additional 14 persons confirmed safe today).
    • 51 phone numbers on the manifest are either switched off or not reachable since Tuesday morning.
    • 35 phone numbers on the manifest are ringing but no response from the other end.
    • 60 phone numbers on the manifest when called response non-existent.
    • 22 persons are reported missing by their relatives.
    • 8 persons confirmed dead.

We remain grateful to the Security Agencies for all the support. We are very appreciative of the Squadron Commander MOPOL 1 Kaduna visit to the accident site today. The NRC will continue to update the general public of developments to prevent misleading information and falsehood.

Thank you and God bless Nigeria.

 

Railway

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six 

Published

on

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six 

 

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an increase in the number of trains on its Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) route in response to rising demand based on its customer feedback.

A statement signed by the NRC Deputy Director of Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, on Wednesday, said the number of trains had been increased to six from four, running Monday to Friday during peak periods.

This development, it added, aimed to enhance customer satisfaction by making commuting more convenient and accessible on the route as well as tackling complaints of ticket racketeering.

The statement quoted the acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, as saying that a five-month trend analysis revealed a 22 per cent increase in new passengers registering on the ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna route.

The surge, he said, showed a growing preference among Nigerians for train travel as a comfortable, reliable, and safe commuting option.

The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to responding to customer demands, improving customer satisfaction, and tackling complaints of ticket racketeering, has increased the number of train services from four to six from Monday to Friday when demand tends to peak on its AKTS route.”

The NRC also noted that similar trends had been observed on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Port Harcourt-Aba routes, with efforts already underway to enhance services along these routes as well.

The acting MD assured Nigerians of the increased presence of NRC senior management across all train service routes to drive continuous efficiency and tackle the issue of ticket racketeering head-on.

“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and avoid patronising ticket racketeers.

“Additional information can be obtained from the NRC website, www.nrc.gov.ng,” it stated.

The expanded services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, it said, followed similar enhancements on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which now includes additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate increasing demand.

Continue Reading

Railway

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

Published

on

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the introduction of additional train trips on its Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) route, exclusively for Fridays and Saturdays.

This initiative increases weekend trips from two to three, offering commuters greater travel flexibility.

The announcement, made via the NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, revealed that the new Lagos-to-Ibadan trip will depart at 1:40 pm, complementing the existing schedules of 7:45 am and 4:00 pm.

For the Ibadan-to-Lagos route, the additional trip is set for 10:50 am, joining the regular departures at 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.

READ ALSO:

“Catch our extra Friday & Saturday train trips on LAGOS – IBADAN TRAIN SERVICE (LITS). 

“LAGOS to IBADAN: 

“•⁠Times: 7:45am, 1:40pm, 4:00pm 

“IBADAN to LAGOS: 

“•⁠Times: 8:00am, 10:50am, 4:30pm,” NRC’s tweet read in part.

This tweet by the Nigerian Railway Corporation further noted that the new schedule complements the existing Sunday-to-Thursday trips, which remain unchanged with departure times at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm from both Lagos and Ibadan.

This move by the NRC to expand the schedule is aimed at accommodating increased demand, particularly during weekends, and providing greater flexibility for commuters traveling between Lagos and Ibadan.

The move is expected to ease travel pressures and improve convenience for passengers on one of Nigeria’s busiest rail routes.

Travelers are encouraged to take advantage of the additional services and book tickets early via the e-ticketing website. to secure their spots, especially as the Lagos-Ibadan rail route continues to grow in popularity.

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

Continue Reading

Railway

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

Published

on

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

The Federal Government of Nigeria has secured $350 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund the construction of the Kano-Maradi rail project, which will connect Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, made this disclosure on Monday during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) headquarters in Lagos, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Aliero stated that the Kano-Maradi rail project is part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize Nigeria’s railway network and enhance regional trade links.

READ ALSO:

“The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen. Adamu Aliero,  says the African Development Bank has released $350 million to the Federal Government for construction of a rail line from Kano to Maradi,” the NAN report read in part.

He also highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to China focused on finalizing negotiations for 85% of the financing needed to upgrade and rehabilitate the nation’s rail infrastructure.

Aliero disclosed that the supplementary budget recently passed by the National Assembly allocated over N530 billion as counterpart funding for these modernization efforts. The remaining 85% of the funds will be sourced from institutions such as China Exim Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and AfDB.

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

Continue Reading

Trending