The Federal Government has pledged to ensure seamless train operations in the South-South and South-Eastern regions of Nigeria, emphasizing its commitment to providing adequate security for users of the railway lines within these zones.
Speaking at the inauguration of train services on the first phase of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Rail line, which traverses Port Harcourt to Aba in Abia State, Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alkali, assured that measures had been put in place to prevent any breakdown of locomotives along the route.
Alkali expressed gratitude for the completion and commencement of services on the corridor. He attributed it to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dedication to the transportation sector and his desire to alleviate the challenges faced by Nigerians.
Describing the significance of the rail line, Alkali highlighted its coverage of five geopolitical zones of the country, emphasizing its importance to the government’s agenda.
He stated, “The Eastern narrow gauge covers five geopolitical zones of the country. It covers South-South, South-East, North-Central, North-West, and North-East.”
Related Stories
- Lagos Red Line Train to Transport Up to 150,000 Passengers Daily
- JUST IN – Police arrest mastermind of 2022 Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack
The minister underscored the historic milestone of inaugurating the Railway Corporation’s presence in the South-South region, marking the beginning of passenger train services from Port Harcourt to Aba.
Alkali outlined the government’s plans for further expansion, stating, “By the grace of God Almighty, from Aba, we are going to proceed to Enugu, and from Port Harcourt to Onne Port and Port Harcourt Port so that we will be able to put freight service in the haulage.”
In addition to inaugurating train services, the ministry is considering retrofitting locomotives from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG) to reduce transportation costs, Alkali revealed.
He expressed confidence in the reliability of the railway infrastructure, stating, “This line has been test-run for about one week now and we have no issue so by the grace of God, we will not have any issue of any locomotive breaking down on the road.”