Covid-19 protocols up-beat as Abuja-Kaduna passenger train services resume today

…Decontaminates stations, rolling stock

With the resumption of passenger train services on the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has put in place a number safety guidelines and necessary protocols to be observed by all passengers. The NRC has also decontaminated all train stations and rolling stock.

NRC says there will be strict adherence to the use of face mask at all NRC facilities especially while on board the trains. Face masks must be appropriately worn at all times throughout the duration of the journey.

All passengers must come with their own alcohol-based hand sanitizer(s). The percentage of alcohol must be up to 90 percent. Management reminds commuters that neither the federal nor the Nigeria Railway Corporation will provide sanitizers for the passengers.

Furthermore, all persons at the NRC facilities must observe social distance of minimum of two metres even while on board the train.

There must be social distancing on board. Hence sitting arrangement has been reviewed. Passengers must sit on their allocated seats. There shall be no changing of seats.

There shall be no movement/loitering while on board except for use of the conveniences while there will not be any catering on board the train at present.

NRC Janitors will be available to clean and disinfect the toilets immediately and whenever they are used while on board and the railway authorities has also warned that defaulting will not be tolerated in order to safeguard  other train users.

To ensure maximum compliance, NRC have equally deployed more law enforcement personnel on board the passenger trains.

These include the Police, Nigerian Civil Defense and Security Corps (NCDSC) Man-O-War (MOW) on board to enforce strict adherence to the new protocols especially the use of face mask and maintaining social distancing at all times.

For many years, the Abuja-Kaduna road has become notorious for several cases of kidnapping of many travellers and some killed after collecting ransome in the process, thereby forcing many Nigerians to prefer traveling by train along the corridor.

The train schedule for today, Wednesday July 29, 2020 according to series and frequencies are  as follows: Abuja to Kaduna (1) 7am, Kaduna to Abuja 6.40am (2), Abuja to Kaduna 9.50am (3) Kaduna to Abuja 10.35am (4) Abuja to Kaduna 2.20pm (5), Kaduna to Abuja (6) 2pm, Abuja-Kaduna (7)  6pm and Kaduna to Abuja (8) 6pm.

A wave of abductions in the country has continued to raise fear across the country. Unlike kidnappings which take on political dimensions such as those involving militants who agitate against oil companies in the south, or Islamic group Boko Haram in the north, this wave spans every region, and is driven largely by economic hardship.

MIKE OCHONMA

Transport Editor