The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it has lost the sum of N531 million between March and August 2022, following the terrorists attack on and subsequent suspension of operations on the Abuja-Kaduna route.
Managing director of the corporation, Fidet Okhiria, told journalists in Lagos that before the attack, the NRC was doing ten trips daily, which it planned on increasing to 12.
“We were already doing 10 trips per day on the Abuja-Kaduna and thought that by now, it would have increased to 12, six to and six for, so that people could properly schedule their movement using the train.
“Regrettably, due to inactivity on the Abuja-Kaduna train, which was caused by the last terrorist attack, we have recorded a shortfall of N531 million on the Abuja-Kaduna route from March to August 2022.
“The shortfall is from expected income, following the disruption occasioned by the train attack,” he said.
Okhiria further stated that the NRC had planned to increase Lagos-Ibadan train to 10 trips but has had to reduce the number of trips on the route to four, and Itakpe-Warri to two
“While we are trying to resolve that and people are building confidence, we have this astronomical challenge in the cost of diesel from N300 plus to over N1000 per litre, ’’ he added.
The managing director also noted that the Lagos-Ibadan trips dropped because of diesel costs, stating that the NRC has people providing security because of the situation all over the place.
“We have to hire separate security. We have to pay them, whether the train runs or not.
“We have to pay light bills and still have to buy diesel for the generators servicing the stations, amongst other things, in spite of the inactivity along the Abuja-Kaduna train route and the drop in the Lagos-Ibadan train services,” he added.
