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FG stops early morning, night operations as Abuja-Kaduna train service resumes
The Nigerian Railway Corporation confirmed the restart of train services between Abuja and Kaduna on Monday.
Mr. Yakub Mahmoud, NRC Deputy Director, Public Relations, announced in a statement that service will resume on Monday, May 23, 2022.
The train service was discontinued nearly two months ago when terrorists blasted the railway’s carriages, killing some passengers and kidnapping others.
The NRC promised that the rail service will resume, albeit without the early morning and late night train operations.
“The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMoT), has directed the restart of the Abuja-Kaduna Train Services (AKTS),” according to the announcement.
The administration also promised “the relatives of the abducted citizens still in captivity that the safe rescue of these passengers is a top priority and not to misconstrue the resumption of train services, as abandonment or nonchalant attitude of the government towards their plight. The federal government will never abdicate its responsibility in rescuing these valuable citizens, however, the government assures of its resolve not to succumb to threats by any faceless group.”
It added that “additional security measures are being put in place at both the train stations and the track to ensure the safety of the passengers onboard.
“These measures are not only for the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) but also for all the passenger train services, especially on the standard gauge railway lines.
“Consequently, the passengers are hereby enjoined to cooperate with the NRC in order to enjoy improved service delivery, safety and comfort by patiently complying with additional measures that will surely be introduced for the safety of our passengers, such as requesting for passengers National Identification Numbers (NIN) as part of our internal security check in addition, presentation of the following must be strictly complied with before boarding the train.
It further stated that as part of the additional security measures, “Valid Photo Identification Card (ID)Reachable telephone number of Next of Kin (NOK) or close relative.Online and offline purchase of tickets must contain the passengers individual profile or identification data.”