Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
Despite the deployment of armed policemen to forestall any uncertainty, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) on Monday recorded low passenger traffic at the resumed Abuja-Kaduna train operations.
The NRC suspended train service along the Abuja-Kaduna route after Boko Haram terrorists attacked a moving passenger train in Kaduna on March 28, 2022.
The NRC management had weekend, announced that the train service would resume Monday.
A closer monitor at the Idu and Kubwa stations showed that the ever bubbling train stations were totally deserted as only a few cars were sighted.
The personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were also seen at the entrance of the station.
At the ticketing points, the newly introduced National Identification Number (NIN) and phone number were demanded from interested passengers before the issuance of tickets.
Passengers without NIN were not issued tickets despite pleas to the ticketing officer.
Inside the coaches from Idu to Kubwa station, the majority of the coaches were empty and only a few had passengers.
Before the attack, the fare from Idu to Rigasa was pegged at N7,000 for the 24-seater coaches, N5,000 for 56 and 68-seater coaches, and between N2,600 and N3,000 for 88-seater coaches depending on the time of the trip, while minors paid N1,500.
However, the NRC management has increased the fare, as a trip from Idu to Rigasa is now N9,000 for 24-seater coaches, N6,500 for 56 and 68-seater coaches and N3,600 for 88-seater coaches, while minors are expected to pay N3,000.
