Kaduna rail project and has fixed the boarding fees for passengers who
intend to use the facility.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who was accompanied
on the final test run of the project by the National Chairman, All
Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; a former Governor of
Ekiti State, Olusegun Oni; as well as other party chieftains in Abuja,
stated that the rail line had been completed and was ready for use.
Amaechi said President Muhammadu Buhari would inaugurate the
project this month, adding that passengers who desired the executive
and economy seats would be charged N900 and N500, respectively.
On perimeter fencing, the minister said the contract had been awarded
and work would soon commence at the terminals, adding that eight
more coaches would be purchased to supplement the ones that were
available.
He said, “When we get money, we will start fencing. The contract has
been awarded and we are looking for money, but we will soon get
money and we hope to start fencing in the next two to three months.
“We are expecting new locomotives and when they come, we will then
make arrangement in next year’s budget to buy more coaches so that
we can have one of the trains stopping in all the stations and the other
doing Kaduna-Abuja.”
In his remark, Odigie-Oyegun said though the project was initiated by
the past administration, it could not see it to completion.
Aside other considerations, the APC chairman noted that the project
also gave attention to disabled persons who might want to access the
rail service.
The Acting Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, Mr. Fidet
Okhira, said the rail service would ease pressure on the roads, as well
as increase easy delivery of goods and services.
He said, “Right now, we are moving three trains of fertilisers from
Lagos to Kaduna for Flour Mills. We started moving for Lafarge from
Gombe to Kafanchan and Kaduna. We are still talking with the
petroleum suppliers to work with us.
“Presently, we have a few customers we move petroleum products for
with our pressurised tanks. We also use some to move our diesel
across our stations. On the Abuja to Kaduna route, we will have parcel
wagons but not huge loads. We have 20 rail wagons and open wagons;
our marketing people are already marketing them.”
Culled from: http://punchng.com/govt-fixes-fares-abuja-kaduna-rail-
service/
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