Barring any last-minute change, Abuja to Kaduna train service is expected to resume operation on Monday, November 28, 2022.
This is coming after eight months when operation along the route was suspended due to a deadly terrorist attack on the train.
It could be recalled that the attack which happened at night led to the death of no less than eight people while 168 passengers were kidnapped.
Early this month, the minister of transportation, Mu’azu Sambo disclosed during a presidential briefing that Abuja to Kaduna train service will resume operation before the end of this month, Investors King learnt.
Mu’azu noted that following the release of the last badge of those that were held hostage, the ministry has been putting security measures in place to forestall any future occurrence of such a sad experience.
Sources confirmed that contractors were at the Idu rail station to install the tracker and cameras which will enhance security along the train corridor.
Speaking in the same line, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria disclosed that the government has set up a high-level committee that will fine-tune a way to ensure adequate security for both the train passengers and the facilities.
“Government has set up a committee to ensure maximum security for both train passengers and facilities during operation. We believe proper security measures should be put in place and until then, the Federal Government won’t approve the functioning of the train station,” Okhira stated in September.
Meanwhile, the federal government has stated that millions of Nigerians will soon prefer to travel by train as the government is committed to connecting virtually all states in Nigeria to the train services.
The ministers of transportation who disclosed this during a working visit to the train station in Lagos State noted that the ministry has a number of ongoing rail projects which include Lagos to Kano, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, and Kaduna to Kano.
He revealed that at the completion of the rail projects, it will be much easier for Nigeria to commute from one state to another.