The Nigeria Railway Corporation on Monday recorded low passenger traffic at the resumed Abuja-Kaduna train operations.
Notwithstanding the deployment of armed policemen to forestall any uncertainty, passenger traffic was abysmally low on the first day of operations after eight months suspension.
The NRC had suspended train service along the Abuja-Kaduna route after Boko Haram terrorists attacked a moving passenger train on March 28, 2022.
After several months of postponement, the NRC management at the weekend announced that the train service would resume on 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 were also seen at the entrance of the station.
At the ticketing points, the newly introduced National Identification Number 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.
The Point had exclusively reported last week that the NRC had hiked train fares across all its operational routes on the standard gauge rail in the country.
The new rates announced by the NRC were to commence with effect from December 1, 2022.
According to an internal memo signed and released by Ola Adeeyinwo, a Deputy Director at NRC, the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe and Abuja-Kaduna routes are all affected.
According to the memo, travelling from Lagos to Ibadan on the 24-seater coaches will now cost N9, 000; on the 56 and 68-seater coaches, N6, 500 and 88-seater coaches, N3,600.
Fares for Lagos to Abeokuta have been raised for the 24-seater coaches to N6, 000; 56 and 68-seater coaches, N4, 500 and 88-seater coaches, N3, 000.
For Abeokuta to Ibadan, 24-seater coaches, N3, 000; 56 and 68-seater coaches, N2, 000 and 88-seater coaches, N1, 000.
Fares for minors on the route have been pegged at N3,000 for Lagos to Ibadan, N2,000 for Lagos to Abeokuta and N600 for Abeokuta to Ibadan.
For the Warri-Itakpe train services, Ujevwu to Itakpe on the 56-seater coaches will now cost N9, 000 while on the 88-seater coaches; it will be N5, 000.
From Ujevwu to Uromi on the 56-seater coaches, the price has been pegged at N5, 500 while on the 88-seater coaches, it will be N2, 500.
For Uromi to Itakpe, the price is now N4, 000 on the 56-seater coaches and N2, 500 for the 88-seater coaches.
Fares for minors on the route have been pegged at N2, 500 for Ujevwu to Itakpe, N1, 500 for Ujevwu to Uromi and N1, 500 Uromi to Itakpe.
Similarly, for the Abuja-Kaduna train services, from Idu to Rigasa, the price has been pegged at N9, 000 for 24-seater coaches, N6, 500 for 56 and 68-seater coaches and N3, 600 for 88-seater coaches while minors will pay N3, 000 flat.
The NRC stated that earlier approved add-on costs that are deductible from every ticket sales are to apply and that the changes take immediate effect.
