The Nigeria Railway Corporation is gearing up to initiate night operations before the second quarter of 2024, according to an announcement by the Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria.
In a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, Okhiria outlined the corporation’s plans for expanded services but cited security challenges as a significant obstacle.
Okhiria highlighted the limitations imposed by the prevailing security situation, stating, “What is limiting us is the night operations, and that is not the way trains should operate. The train is meant to operate at all times.”
He acknowledged the public’s preference for evening travel but emphasized that security concerns restrict railway activities to daytime.
The NRC aims to reintroduce both passenger and freight trains, connecting cities such as Port-Harcourt to Aba, Lagos to Kano, and Kaduna due to the presence of dry ports.
Okhiria expressed the corporation’s intention to increase the number of train trips on key routes, specifically mentioning Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Abuja-Kaduna.
He detailed the proposed frequency, stating, “We are going to increase the number of train trips to six on Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Abuja-Kaduna, which means the trips will be three times to and three times from, making six trips in a day.”
Currently, the NRC is running four trips, with two up and two down across various routes.
While acknowledging the challenges, Okhiria assured that the night trips would commence before the second quarter of 2024.
He added, “Right now, they are running four trips—two up and two down across the board.”
