The Abuja-Kaduna train service recorded N5 million income within the first two weeks of operation, Mr Fidet Ikhiria, Acting Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), has said.

Ikhiria made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while travelling on the train from Abuja to Kaduna on Saturday.

The Managing Director of NAN, Mr Bayo Onanuga and the Editor-in-Chief, NAN, Mr Ado Lawal, were also on board.

NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari recently inaugurated the 1.46 billion dollars Abuja-Kaduna train service was inaugurated on July 26 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ikhiria said that he did not have record of the daily income of the service.

“In the first week of operation, we made N2.2 million; in the second week, we made N2.9 million.

“This is the third week of operation; the last week report showed that we had almost 5,000 passengers in six days.

”We have capacity for 320 passengers per trip; for now, the maximum we can carry per trip is 320.

”So, for a day, the maximum number of passengers we can have is 1000,” he said.

Ikhiria said that fencing of the tracks would commence before the end of August.

He acknowledged that there were some operational lapses on the route, and said that the management was working toward addressing them.

He said that some of the staff had yet to get used to the seat numbering as it was different from what was obtainable in the previous trains.

According to the managing director, the coaches are overwhelmed by the number of people coming on board.

“Some passengers with economy class tickets are coming to sit on the first class coach because the economy class is filled up.

”We are going to do more enlightenment on this at the station and communities levels.”

On the speed of the train, he said that the parameter for speed was not coach but track which, according to him, was designed according to specification.

He said the train moved at 90 kilometres per hour from the initial 70 kilometres per hour but would get to 150 kilometres per hour in due course.

“The slow speed of the train is to avoid accidents as people living close to the tracks have yet to get used to the movement of train,’’ he explained.

Okhiria said that efforts were being made to beef up security at the stations and on board the train.

“By next week, our scanners will be in place; I am also discussing with Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to deploy more men.

“We have armed policemen on board and some security personnel without uniform,” he said

He added that efforts were also being made to install internet facilities in the train.

In an interview, the Managing Director of NAN, Mr Bayo Onanuga, who was on board the train, lauded the service and said that Nigerians were beginning to enjoy train services the way they did in the 60s and the 70s.

Onanuga, who was in company with the Editor-in-Chief of NAN, Mr Lawal Ado, however, said that NRC needed to do more work to improve on the train services.

”Apparently, NRC underestimated the interest of our people in boarding train.

”They need to acquire more trains; they need to increase the capacity and increase the frequency of movement.

”They need to provide food and other services such as internet.

“It is a good one; we made it to Kaduna in two and half hours,” he said.

Another passenger, Mr Kayode Emmanuel, told NAN that the system of boarding the train was chaotic and disorganised.

He said that the management should know the number of passengers each coach contained and sell tickets accordingly to avoid crowded coaches.

On his part, Isa Yusuf, who was also on board, said that he expected that passengers on the first-class coach would be given light refreshment. (NAN).


http://www.leadership.ng/news/545972/abuja-kaduna-train-service-records-n5m-income-in-2-weeks

nigeria will be great again it just a matter of time. congratulations to the team naija of rio olympics football team. this victory to the final by d special grace of God.more railways need to be constructed. our steel rolling factories need to be revisited and revived more jobs will be created ooo.kudos to minister of transport more revenue to d government.

lalasticla fp pls let my people see d latest development ooo.this is a good achievement

good ooo

more igr to d government. d commissioning of last month railway project av started yielding result. this is a good development.pmb should kindly look to some steel rolling in some state ooo.some steel rolling factories need to revive ooooo.more jobs will be created and their will be reduction of poverty level ooo.

[size=13pt]What pains me is, Price of Rice nor gree decrease. So who train service epp[/size]

It will serve the people and the government will still generate revenue from it.

jaymejate:
[size=13pt]What pains me is, Price of Rice nor gree decrease. So who train service epp[/size]

it's because d rich elite based their life on importation. which is very bad to our society. we should patronize our locally made goods ooo.importation of foods should be reduces. cbn governor should sit tight or be sack all else pmb will query. what's happening to d currency exchange rate. since last yr d dollar rate is not good. we need to ask cbn governor series of question. dollar rate should be reducing not increasing every time.

fiizznation:
Nice development. Things are gradually falling in place. I hope and pray things should continue to get better for the good of the common man.

And that man heading CBN should also sit up. The kindergarten policies he keeps introducing everyday are not for a country like Nigeria that is still struggling on every side of its economic sector. Mrs kemi, you too should also spare us the big grammars and start producing good results. Mrs kemi might be intelligent and all that, but her overzealousness is my number problem with her.

exactly you are on point ooo.cbn governor should be questioned about d dollar rate issue.it's becoming unbearable ooo. we can't bear it any more whyyy?mrs kemi adeosun should work with d best brains in d economies of this country enough of feeding us with promises. we need to hit d ground running.

Flexherbal:
It will serve the people and the government will still generate revenue from it.

yes soo

things will soon get better.
Very soon....

Change

hmmmm....where is the rest money

Jonathan's legacy thankfully completed by Buhari.
Good.

U sure? U sure say dem never "pad" the income so?

Transparency & accountability should be their watchword.
God bless Nigeria.

Kill all politicians today and watch nigeria bounce back

Make una no use the revenue host una kids weddings sha

what was the cost of the project and how far away is it from the breakeven point?

That means another source of income if devoid of the usual pathological propaganda

we need more of these in lagos to reduce traffic

after now one idiot will come on air to still say Nigeria is broke

Sunofgod:
what was the cost of the project and how far away is it from the breakeven point?

assuming it cost 150m dollars,in 2 yrs,it will break even

Amaechi clap for yourself, infact come and receive a golden handshake. You did well by completing the project even though it was inherited. Many others would have abandoned it since it was a project from a different political dispensation............ but God bless GEJ

This is what we have been clamoring for. The rail sector is a money spinner for the government. If properly harnessed, it can employ thousands of jobless Nigerians and increase our nations IGP.

The sweet smelling fragrance of change.

Most African women will not be going for the Olympics in Brazil as they are afraid of meeting the owners of their hair!

-Robert Mugabe 2016

okay

Eco2580:
Most African women will not be going for the Olympics in Brazil as they are afraid of meeting the owners of their hair!

-Robert Mugabe 2016

lol lol lol, epic!