…how low revenue is affecting us
…freight movement begins in Apapa soon
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has said that it will soon begin online train ticketing system on Lagos-Ibadan and Warri-Itakpe Train Service routes.
Managing Director, NRC, Fidet Okhiria, disclosed this on Thursday, in Lagos, during a symposium on railway safety, organised by Transport Day magazine and other partners.
Okhiria said online ticketing is on and the Federal Government has approved the concessionaires.
He said: “We want people to buy tickets from the comfort of their homes because we are losing a lot of revenue, as people bring passengers on board without pay.”
He also attributed low revenue in passenger service to lack of operation on the Abuja-Kaduna train service.
He said: “After the March incident, there was no longer operation on the Abuja-Kaduna train service till the fourth quarter of the year. Even now that we have started operations, cost of diesel had gone up more than five times.
“Diesel prices have come down now and we are now going to the depot to get it ourselves instead of waiting for suppliers.
“So, we are gradually building up the traffic to get confidence back on the train.”
He also said that freight services had begun on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail with freight services being moved from Ewekoro in Ogun State to Ibadan in Oyo State.
Okhiria said efforts had been put in place to ensure freight movement begins within the Apapa corridor with plans to work with APMT terminals.
He said tomorrow (today), the corporation would be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) to ensure movement of freight on the standard gauge from Apapa.
Also speaking, representative of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority’s (LAMATA) Managing Director, Akinwale Akintola, said the agency is ready to integrate the railway system in collaboration with NRC within the metropolis.
