The Federal Government announced that the Abuja-Kaduna rail operation which was paused due to the March 28 bombing is set to resume on the 23rd of May.
This was disclosed in a statement by the in a statement by it Deputy Director, Public Relations of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Yakub Mahmood, on Monday, according to NAN.
He stated that new measures taken will see passengers present a valid photo Identification Card (ID), reachable telephone number of Next of Kin (NOK) or close relative, among other items.
What the NRC is saying
The Corporation disclosed that additional security measures were being put in place at both the train stations and the track to ensure the safety of passengers onboard, which would also be implemented in other rail services nationwide.
Mahmood said, “Consequently, the passengers are hereby enjoined to cooperate with the NRC in order to enjoy improved service delivery, safety and comfort.
“This is by patiently complying with additional measures that will surely be introduced for the safety of our passengers, such as requesting for passengers National Identification Numbers (NIN).
“The NIN is part of our internal security check; in addition, presentation of the following must be strictly complied with before boarding the train:
“A valid photo Identification Card (ID), reachable telephone number of Next of Kin (NOK) or close relative and an Online and offline purchase of tickets must contain the passenger’s individual profile or identification data.”
He added that the NRC is committed to the release of abducted passengers in captivity since the attacks began.
In case you missed it
Nairametrics reported earlier this month that the Nigeria Railway Corporation revealed that the damaged Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) track which was destroyed by an explosion in a terrorist attack in March has been restored.
Recall that on March 28, some terrorists attacked an Abuja-Kaduna train with many passengers on board.
The attack which occurred a few kilometres from the Kaduna metropolis had about 8 people killed, with dozens injured and some others kidnapped by the bandits. Onboard the train, were 362 passengers and 20 crew members.
Following the event after the train attack, the Nigerian government announced plans to beef up security in its railway infrastructure, revealing that it will implement an integrated surveillance system in the Abuja-Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Warri-Itakpe railway systems.
