The Abuja-Kaduna rail line has recorded 900,000 passenger flow since it commenced operation two years ago, it was learnt Thursday.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), also said it carries about 2000 passengers daily since it the operation commenced.
This was disclosed in Abuja on Thursday by the Idu Station Manager, Pascal Nnoli during the second anniversary to mark the commencement of commercial operations on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor.
Nnoli also disclosed that the technical support rendered by the Chinese to the corridor has dropped from 42 to 17 in the last two years, thereby giving Nigerians more opportunities.
Speaking on how it has fared, Nnoli said: “Exactly two years ago, on the 26th of July, 2016, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari commissioned this for the commencement of commercial train operations on this corridor.
“We have done well, based on the available infrastructure. Before 2016, we didn’t have any operational standard gauge railway in West Africa but here we are today carrying an average of 2000 passengers every day to and fro Abuja-kaduna.
“As at two days ago when we checked, we saw that we have carried approximately 900,000 passengers in two years.”
He added: “Prior to January 4th 2018 before we added more stock to our rake, we had only five coaches out of which one is baggage van, which means we had only four and the carrying capacity of the four was about 320 passengers per trip.
“This led to reported cases of ticket racketeering but with the addition of ten more coaches on the 4th of January 2018, our carrying capacity increased and the issue of ticket racketeering has now become a thing of the past.”
Nnoli also disclosed that the Corporation plans to commence e-ticketing in three months’ time.
“As a corporation, we are going further to make sure that we give people the best of rail service by introducing e-ticketing.
“The procurement process has started and we are in the next phase right now. Hopefully in the next three months, it will be deployed and linked to access control which means that by the time you want to board, you won’t be having human interface with our personnel. If you flash your ticket at the gate, it will open for you and if it is not valid, it will not open for you.”
Speaking on how the business requires a lot of capital, Nnoli said $2.5million is required to do one kilometre of rail track internationally.
He said: “Anybody that says railway business and especially running passenger services is profitable is not being truthful. One can break even just as an operator. If you are coming and given the whole infrastructure and if it is just for you to run the services, you may break even but when you are involved in the Infrastructure, you won’t. To do a kilometre of track internationally takes a minimum of $2.5million.”
On what the Corporation makes every month, he said: “I know that what we are making now goes a long way to argument our operating cost.”
On the transfer of technical knowledge from Chinese to Nigerians, Nnoli said: “From day one, this service has been managed by locals. I am the manager and I am a Nigerian.
“Let me put it straight that what the CCECC is doing is the provision of technical support because they transferred the technology to us.
“From day one, they have not driven our local since we commenced operation. What usually happens is when we have a hitch; we call them and work together through skill transfer approach.”
He continued: “They are working with us because of their expertise and we have a three year window and two years have gone. If you have watched carefully, from the beginning, there were 42 Chinese providing technical support, after the first year, they dropped to 21 and from today going into the third year, they will drop to 17. So it means we are making progress.”
On the total number of staff, he said: “By April 2016 when we wanted to take over, we had only six-man technical committee. Thereafter, 64 personnel were brought to be trained and those people were the take-off staff but now, we have close to 600 staff working on this corridor.
“In all, we have employed 779 Nigerians to work on this line.”
