Sunday Okobi and Oluchi Chibuzor
Barring any further delay, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, has disclosed that with the pace of work going on in the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge project by the contractor, the corporation will meet the expected date for inauguration of the project by next month.
He gave the assurance at the recent inspection tour of the ongoing project in Ogun State by the management of the corporation. He admitted that with all challenges confronting the rail corridor removed, it would be set for inauguration by February.
Okhiria, stated that the only impediment that may confront the project was the mobilisation of equipment to project sites.
“With the sequence they are going, the formation is ready as they are putting steel post and the coal dust to enable them put the rail tracks as well as balancing it.
“So lifting and balancing will be done mechanically to ensure the fittings are in place with the help of virtual effects.
“We are using what is called screen to remove dust and sand and re-balance the standard gauge, because it needs to be maintained till the period it will last to avoid deterioration, and there is a percentage of balance you must replenish which is not less than five percent of every year,” the NRC boss said.
Meanwhile, the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has advised the Nigerian public against patronising a ‘false’ online e-ticketing payment website, where fraudsters request prospective passengers especially those of the Abuja-Kaduna train service to purchase or reserve tickets.
In a statement, the corporation’s acting Chief Public Relations Officer, Akinrinlola Lola Olawale, stated: “The NRC hereby pleads with our passengers of the Abuja- Kaduna train service in particular to disregard any of such mails, messages or calls as they are scam and not from the corporation.”
She added that the sales of train tickets are only done at the various designated stations in hard copy and not yet on any online e-ticketing platform.
According to Olawale, the only official website of NRC remains www.nrc.gov.ng, adding that “all information concerning the corporation which includes train service operation and time schedule details is uploaded and updated therein whenever the need arises.
“We therefore appreciate the continuous patronage of our esteemed customers as we are also committed to serving them better.”
