The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) is finalising preparations to introduce night operations by the second quarter of 2024, according to the Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria.
Okhiria, in an interview, highlighted that the current limitation to daytime operations due to security concerns is not the ideal way for trains to operate. He emphasised that trains are designed to run at all times, and despite the security situation in the country, the NRC aims to reintroduce both passenger and freight trains on key routes.
The Managing Director stated, “We intend to bring back passenger and freight trains from Port-Harcourt to Aba, Lagos to Kano, and Kaduna because of the dry ports.”
This initiative signifies a significant expansion as the corporation plans to increase the frequency of train trips. Specifically, Okhiria mentioned that there will be six daily train trips on the standard gauge train for routes such as Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Abuja-Kaduna. This will involve three trips in each direction, totaling six trips in a day.
He further explained, “The trips will commence before the second quarter of 2024. Right now, they are running four trips—two up and two down across the board.