NRC opens 5KM railway route in Bauchi
Story from Ahmad MUHAMMAD, Bauchi
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), North Eastern District, has opened a five-kilometre rail track from Bauchi State to Inkil along the Bauchi-Gombe road for passengers and students on excursions.
Mr Aliyu Mainasara, Railway District Manager (RDM), stated this during the unveiling of the rail line services in Bauchi on Monday.
Neptune Prime reports that during the pre-test and commencement of the rail services, the rail line conveyed the RDM, management team and passengers from Bauchi station to Inkill Community to and fro.
Mainasara pointed out that the rail services would run from Monday to Saturday three times a day with a token of N200 per trip from Bauchi station to the Inkill community.
According to him, each trip would be accompanied by security personnel to protect passengers and their belongings.
“The train has the capacity of conveying about 70 to 100 passengers with comforting facilities,” he said.
The RDM, however, said full services would commence on Monday, September 5, 2022, with daily and monthly schedules.
He said that the eastern district had not run a single train in the last seven years due to challenges posed by insecurity and vandalism of its track.
According to Mainasara, the initiative would accord the citizens and children to test the rail services as there are people who have not experienced rail services.
“With this, the children from schools would go for an excursion from Bauchi station to Inkil Community which is five kilometres from Bauchi station.
“By the end of this year, we will extend the services to Alkaleri local government area of the state up to Gombe State respectively.
He said engineers in the district are working on the track for the expansion of the scope of services to the Alkaleri LGA of the state.
“The moment we fix the tracks up to Alkaleri, believe me, we will start to run our trains as well as to Gombe.
He urged stakeholders to support the initiative of the North-East District office of the corporation with credible information to ensure effective surveillance and protection of the tracks.
