The Federal Government has announced that there will be a hike in the rail service fare as the Abuja-Kaduna train service gets set for resumption.
The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, disclosed this on Sunday while announcing the extension of the resumption date at the station.
Recall that the Nigerian Railway Corporation shut down the station following a brutal attack on passengers by terrorists sometime in March 2022.
Speaking, however, on the resumption of activities at the station, Sambo said yesterday that there would be an increase in the rail service fare as a result of the economic situation in the country.
The minister noted that the number of daily trips would also be reduced, adding that there would not be night journeys until further notice.
Sambo disclosed this to newsmen on Sunday in Kaduna while inspecting the train station.
He said, “The number of trips will be reduced. Naturally, you should expect that a certain number of passengers will not be comfortable boarding the train for obvious reasons.”
He noted that the number of trips per day would subsequently increase as the travelling population increased.
“We are human beings, we are bound to feel a little bit uncomfortable until we can see that every security measure has been put in place. So, we will reduce the number of trips, and as the travelling population picks up, we will increase the number of trips but we will certainly not travel at night for now.
“Please, expect an increase in fares. I am having final consultation with the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the ministry’s management to see whether it will be immediate or we will take a little time”.
“We all know that prices of things have gone up, even airfares have gone up and we have not heard anybody cry about it. Why is it that it’s only when it is train fares that people are reactive? I can assure you that the poor masses will be taken care of and considered because we are a very sensitive government,” the Minister said.
