NRC To Operate 20,000km rail Transportation Across The Country

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria says the nation will operate about twenty thousand kilometers of rail line transportation system across the country when the rail track under construction is completed.

Mr. Okhiria made this known while interacting with Radio Nigeria in Abuja.

The Railway Managing Director explained that provisions were made in the current design of rail tracks for upgrades to electronic trains in the future under a public private partnership

He noted that with the introduction of the online ticketing system on the Abuja-Kaduna train service, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) had been able to raise its earnings by about N50 million.

The earnings were raised from N70 million to N350 million between May and June. The recent feat of N1.18bn in the second quarter recorded after cost deductions is a significant rise says NRC Managing Director, Mr. Fidet Okhiria.

The Managing Director said the feat achieved was as a result of the dedication of staff of the Corporation to keep the system afloat.”

“We have four trains a day, two from Itapke- Warri and two from Warri- Itakpe. We are developing it, we have investors’ who want to invest in rail system, we are ready to give concession and Cassava Producers have approached us, we are equally talking to Dangote” The NRC boss said,

Mr. Okhiria who explained that the rail is 36 years old but the present govt came in and rehabilitated it to make it functional added that the Corporation was asking government to put in more coaches for passenger trains so that it can run every 30 mins.

He also pointed out that the Corporation is trying to get parcel vans, where one can deliver his or her goods to other cities.

“That’s how we do it in the good old days. These will be attached to the passenger trains” Mr. Okhiria noted.

Georgina Humphrey/Abuja