Why FG postponed Abuja-Kaduna rail resumption date

The unavailability of tickets forced the federal government to postpone the resumption date of the Abuja-Kaduna rail service.

A source in the Idu Train Station, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed this to the PUNCH on Monday in Abuja.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that the company handling the printing of the tickets failed to deliver them to the Nigerian Railway Corporation, compelling the government to put off the resumption date of the Abuja-Kaduna rail service on Sunday.

The PUNCH had, last week, reported that the Abuja-Kaduna rail services would resume operations November 28, 2022.

But the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, had on Sunday, while on an inspection tour of the rail services in Kaduna, announced an extension of the proposed resumption date of the rail service.

A source, however, said the postponement was a result of a firm’s failure to deliver on its contract.

The source said, “The company that is handling the ticket hasn’t finished the arrangement. There is also construction work that is going on.”

According to the source, the cameras had been fixed, revealing, however, that only two were available rather than the three earlier arranged.

“They said they were going to fix three cameras but fixed only two. I don’t know the reason.”

The said claimed that “They fixed only two cameras. They told us that the camera can cover 3km away from the train, but from my investigation, it cannot even cover 30 metres.”