NRC makes N200m monthly on Abuja-Kaduna route

…Spends N100m on recurrent expenses

MIKE OCHONMA

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) generates about N200 million every month out of which almost N100 is spent on operational cost such as routine maintenance, cleaning and recalibration of equipment that are in use and fueling.

Fidet Okhiria, managing director and chief executive of NRC, made this known on the sidelines last weekend in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta state, during the interment of Tony Iwelu, the late chief security officer to the Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s minister of transportation.

Meanwhile, the recurring shortage of coaches for passenger services on the Abuja-Kaduna train services will gradually be a thing of the past as the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is planning to commence train service on an hourly schedule on the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge route in April this year

Currently, the train service operates on three hours intervals or more to the frustration of travelers, but authorities at NRC has assured of improved service delivery beginning from next month.

This means that passengers that miss a particular train departure schedule would no longer wil for nearly three hours for another service like before, but would rather depart on the soon-to-be introduced hourly service.

Okhiria also said the recently procured two locomotives and eight coaches are expected to arrive Kaduna by first week of April and will be commissioned immediately and put to use, he said.

With the new capacity, more express services will be introduced for all categories of individuals that would want to travel fast without the disruptions of stopping at every station, however, with a price.

“Two locomotives have arrived. You know it’s not easy to move them by road. We hope that in the next three weeks, the two locomotives and eight coaches would have arrived Kaduna. “Immediately, we will commission them and start operations with them. With that, we can have the hourly train, Okhiria said.

When fully deployed, there will be non-stop return trip train services from Abuja to Kaduna. At the same time, the price will not be the same again because of the seats there.

In terms categories, there are coaches for 24 passengers and another two coaches that can accommodate 56 people and the normal one depending on the class of ticket purchased by the passenger. ‘’So, we don’t expect people who will relax their chair to also pay the same price,” he explained.