NRC debunks Lagos-Ibadan insufficient fuel train service report

Authorities of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) last Friday said that the Ibadan-Lagos standard gauge train that failed in the middle of nowhere on Thursday morning, was due to a faulty fueling system and not as a result of insufficient fuel in the locomotive tank.

Mahmood Yakub, NRC’s deputy director, public relations last weekend said its workers initially went and sourced for fuel to refill the locomotive tank because they thought the train stopped due to insufficient diesel.

According to the statement, “The Board and management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation attention have been drawn to a viral video on social media platforms on the failure of our train locomotive which left our valued passengers stranded for some time on Ibadan to Lagos Standard Gauge morning train service.

“We wish to first and foremost tender our unreserved apology for the interruption in our operations which led to the extension of our journey-time schedule of the said train.

“We also appreciate the feedback we frequently receive from our esteemed passengers as well as constructive comments from the public domain which are all geared towards efficient service delivery to our esteemed passengers.

“However, the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) states here categorically that the locomotive failure was as a result of technical fault on the fueling system, but, is NOT as a result of insufficient fuel as the general public was made to believe.

“There is more than sufficient fuel for the convenient and timely journey from Ibadan to Lagos in the same locomotive fuel tank, but in order to be proactive, our staff immediately source fuel under the suspicion it was fuel shortage which was later discovered to be a technical fault on the fueling system, not fuel insufficiency.

“Meanwhile, we are equally appealing to the general public, especially our esteemed passengers and our numerous admirers of modern Railway project to continue having good fate in our operations as that is the surest means that will motivate us to serve you much better.

“Once again, kindly accept our unreserved apology for the inconveniences caused by that sudden and unforeseen Ibadan to Lagos Standard Gauge passenger train failure on Thursday 10th March 2022.”.

MIKE OCHONMA