The Abuja-Kaduna train service will resume on May 23, the Federal Government announced yesterday.
Recall that train services had been suspended on the route after terrorists attacked a train, fatally shot several persons, and abducted scores of passengers in March. Most of those abducted are still in captivity.
In an issued statement, signed by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, (NRC), Yakubu Mahmood, said the decision to resume services does not mean efforts to secure the safe release of those abducted will be put on hold.
The families of those abducted have threatened to resist the reopening of the train service.
The NRC statement said: ”The Government wishes to assure the relatives of the abducted citizens still in captivity that the safe rescue of these passengers is a top priority and not to misconstrue the resumption of train services as abandonment or nonchalant attitude of the government towards their plight.
In the statement, the NRC added that additional security measures are being put in place to beef up security at the train stations and along the track.
“These measures are not only for the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) but also for all the passenger train services, especially on the standard gauge railway lines. Consequently, the passengers are hereby enjoined to cooperate with the NRC in order to enjoin improved service delivery, safety and comfort 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) as part of our internal security check”, the statement said.
The NRC said customers must present a valid photo identification card and a reachable telephone number of Next of Kin, or close relative, before boarding a train.
Online and offline purchases of tickets must contain the passenger’s individual profile or identification data, the NRC said.
