EXCITING NEWS: TNG WhatsApp Channel is LIVE…
Subscribe for FREE to get LIVE NEWS UPDATE. Click here to subscribe!
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has revealed the big problem facing rail transportation in the country.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports NRC to have said the issue of vandalism of the tracks remains the big problem in the rail transport sector.
NRC Managing Director, Mr Fidet Okhiria made the disclosure, saying the corporation lost over 150,000 rail clips due to constant vandalism along railway tracks across the country between 2022 and 2023.
Okhiria made the disclosure during the end of the year media briefing in Lagos on Thursday.
He said that over 50,000 clips each had been vandalised between Lagos – Ibadan, Warri- Itakpe and Abuja -Kaduna standard gauge tracks between 2022 and 2023.
Okhiria said that the corporation had engaged in constant sensitisation to communities where the vandalism took place to make them to realise the implication of the act to the growth of rail networking in the country.
“The only issue we have now is vandalism of the tracks, which is a big problem. When we replace the tracks, they will come back and vandalise the track again.
“Just before the Christmas, the hoodlums vandalised over 200 clips between Mushin -Oshodi area and we had to replace them three days after the vandalism.
“We are looking for a way to protect the clips, we will also continue to discuss it at the management meeting where we will have to engage a special person to guide our position,” Okhiria said.
He said that in spite of the constant arrests on the vandalism, the corporation still recorded clips being vandalised from time to time.
The managing director,said that the only solution to stop the vandalism of the train track clips was to try and occupy the trains on daily basis.
Free train ride: NRC moves 63,000 passengers in 7 days
Meanwhile, Okhiria disclosed that the corporation moved over 63,000 passengers on the free train rides across the country between Dec. 21 and Dec 26.
He commended the Federal Government for coming up with the free train ride for 15 days, adding that over 63,000 passengers had benefited so far from the initiative on all its routes.
Okhiria encouraged people to key into the government initiative through the online platform, especially during and after the festive period.
He also said the corporation was working on some rolling stocks, to increase number of coaches and trips from Lagos to Ibadan, amongst other routes.
The managing director said that the corporation was partnering with various organisations on its freight as well as ensuring safety of its tracks.
“Our Minister has given us an assignment to ensure that we are able to move the passengers and freight train between Lagos and Kano.
“We are working on it in-house and we are trying our best to ensure we complete the tracks by the end of December.
”As we speak, a locomotive and wagon have arrived in Minna successfully, and by Saturday, Dec. 30, will be able to move the wagon to Kaduna.
“We have also moved the wagon from Kano to Kaduna. We have some security challenges close to Kaduna; luckily, the military and police are supporting us to ensure that we are able to complete the track between Minna and Kaduna in the next five days,” Okhiria said.
He said the corporation would begin skeletal service round the track and commence train movement in the northern part of the country by January.
Okhiria said that they had issues with vandalism, adding that they just replaced the vandalised clipper between Mokua and Kano on Wednesday.
“We had an issue with Warri-Itakpe track earlier the year, we were able to recover, and now we have commenced full operation along the axis,” he said.
He said that laying of tracks from Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri was ongoing.
“The contractor told me that in 15 days time, the track between Port-Harcourt and Aba will be ready.
”The technical department are working on the rolling track, by the time we occupy the track, it will not be easy to vandalise again,” he said.
Okhiria said that NRC planned to increase the turn around time of the Standard Gauge train between Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe and Abuja-to Kaduna in 2024.
He said that there was no increase in train fare before and after the subsidy removal as the government ensured they gave succour to Nigerians.
Okhiria said that the Federal Government was supportive of the corporation in ensuring more train patronage.
He said that train was the cheapest and safest means of transportation.
“The free train that we are running now, government is providing money for fuel, security and other logistics to ensure we meet the demands of Nigerians during the festive period,” Okhiria said.