The Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced that going forward, NIN is now required for passenger profiling before they can assess the Abuja-Kaduna Trains Services (AKTS) scheduled to resume soon. It assured that security measures had been put in place to ward off security breaches.
This is coming as the management of Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC) announced that the re-connection of the AKTS line had been achieved.
Niyi Alli in a release signed by on behalf of the Managing Director and CEO of the Corporation, said the group is making concerted efforts at restoring the AKTS tracks corridor for resumption of service soonest, while announcing the measures put in place to realise the goal.
He noted that “the connection of the AKTS line has been achieved. This implies that the major track components (Concrete Sleepers and Rails) have been completely laid. The south end of the tracks (which was destroyed by the explosion) has been successfully joined with the north end. Track access between Abuja and Kaduna is now restored.
He added that “the technical team continues with other track stabilisation works including Ballasting, Temping, Fastening of accessories (clips, bolts and nuts) and Welding.”
According to him, “Loco 2502 which was involved in the accident (though not damaged) and trapped at the Rigasa end due to lack of route access has now crossed to the Idu end and taken to the workshop for proper examination and routine maintenance, stressing that “as we have mentioned in our earlier releases, the Abuja – Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) will resume soon with additional security measures put in place.”
Alli in the release, emphasised that “passengers will be required to provide their NIN registration for verification prior to purchasing train tickets. This is for improved passenger profiling and safety on-board.”
He reiterated that “the Corporation is committed to the safety of all our passengers and staff on board the ill-fated AK9 train service. We will continue to collaborate with security agencies to ensure all persons being held are rescued unhurt and reunited with their families, soonest.
“We continue to pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate attack. We also pray that Almighty God continues to grant the families of those who lost loved ones the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. We equally pray for the full recovery of those injured in the ill-fated AK9 train service of March 28, 2022.”
Alli noted that “in compliance with Mr. President’s directive, we encourage anyone still looking for a loved one or for an update to please contact the following numbers in our situation room: Mrs. Lola 08023310145 and Mr. Mahmood 07038356015.”
He assured that the NRC would continue to express its profound gratitude to the security agencies for the continued support, especially for the security cover available to our officials and staff at the incident site. He further assured that the Corporation will continue to update the public with latest developments.
