Railway
Excitement as new Lagos-Ibadan train operation begins
Passengers travelling from Ibadan to Lagos had plenty of fun and a smooth ride on the train on Monday as the Nigerian Railway Corporation commenced commercial operation on the new standard gauge rail line.
The train with all the trappings of modernity including air conditioner left Ibadan, the Oyo State capital at 8am, according to a statement by the NRC, captioned, ‘NRC starts Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge passengers train’ and return passengers going from Lagos to Ibadan at 4pm.
Managing Director of the NRC, Mr Fidet Okhiria, had said during the last inspection visit and train tour of the new line by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, that the new train would commence operation on December 7.
He also said 24 new coaches, four locomotives dedicated to passenger train, nine freight locomotives, and shunting locomotives had arrived in Lagos while two of the freight locomotives would be transferred to Warri.
The statement by the corporation on the starting of the new train on Monday signed by the Lagos District Public Relations Officer, Dr Khadijah Aroyewun-Adekomaiya, quoted the NRC Lagos District Manager, Jerry Oche, as saying the train was “run using newly acquired coaches and locomotives.”
He added, “This service is fast, convenient, safe and relatively cheap. There is an option for everyone as the tickets are available in Economy to First-Class rates.”
Oche explained that “the journey time from Lagos to Ibadan is two and a half hours which makes more sense going by recent reports of traffic that has characterised Lagos-Ibadan road due to ongoing road construction along that axis.
“Train service in Lagos is experiencing a new dawn and we are encouraging Nigerians to embrace this new service.”
The corporation also said it observed all the regulations concerning the running of trains during the period of COVID-19 such as wearing of nose masks, hand washing practice, which are measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some details about the new train were also given by a presidential aide, Tolu Ogunlesi, in a tweet, stating that “For now, it’s doing 30-40km/hr in Lagos metropolis.”
He added, “Speed and capacity will increase with time. Keep in mind there’s still some construction work ongoing (station buildings etc).
“Also likely won’t hit maximum speeds until the line fencing is completed. (Sadly because of some Lagosians’ love for rail-line merchandising).”
The statement issued on Monday by the NRC is presented below:
NIGERIAN RAILWAY CORPORATION
PRESS RELEASE
NRC STARTS LAGOS-IBADAN STANDARD GUAGE PASSENGERS TRAIN
The Nigeria Railway Corporation has commenced the operation of passengers trains from Lagos – Abeokuta – Ibadan on Monday December 7th, 2020. This newly introduced service provides fully air-conditioned train services in different categories.
The Lagos Ibadan standard gauge train affords members of the public the opportunity to leave Ibadan for Lagos at 8. 00am in the morning and return at 4.00pm same day.
“The newly introduced standard gauge trains have finally come to fruition as the service is run using newly acquired coaches and locomotives. This service is fast, convenient, safe and relatively cheap. There is an option for everyone as the tickets are available in Economy to First Class rates” Engr Jerry Oche (Railway District Manager).
“The journey time from Lagos to Ibadan is two and a half hours which makes more sense going by recent reports of traffic that has characterised Lagos Ibadan road due to ongoing road construction along that axis. Train services in Lagos is experiencing a new dawn and we are encouraging Nigerians to embrace this new service” Engr Jerry Oche.
All major rules and regulations guiding the trains remain, especially in the area of nose mask usage and hand washing practice, which are measures in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 while on-board the train.
Khadijah Aroyewun-Adekomaiya (PhD)
DPRO (LD) EBJ
Railway
NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six
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.
Railway
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
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.
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“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
Railway
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
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.
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“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
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