Free Train Ride: NRC lifts 30,000 Passengers on Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge

*Resumes train ticket sales

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), has said no fewer than 30,000 passengers have enjoyed the free train ride on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge between December 24 and 31st, 2021.
The Corporation, however, noted that it has resumed sales of tickets for travellers, following the expiration of the Federal Government free train ride on Tuesday.

Managing Director, NRC, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said this in Abuja at the expiration of the national free train ride, adding that the sales of travel tickets have resumed from 6 p.m. on Tuesday for intending passengers.

He advised intending passengers to ensure that they purchase their usual tickets electronically or physically at the various stations of the corporation to avoid embarrassment.

The federal government had declared free train rides for Nigerians from Dec. 24 to Jan. 4 to facilitate easy movement for the yuletide.
District Public Relations Officer, NRC (Western District), Mr Callistus Unyimadu said, said that the NRC has been having passengers fill up the train capacity without paying a dime since the declaration of the free train ride.

He, however, said that the train had always been filled to capacity before the declaration of the free ride, adding that the free service now affords passengers the opportunity not to pay.

“People have been trooping in their thousands from Dec. 24 and we carry between 600 and 700 passengers per trip.

“On Dec. 24 we ran four trips from Ibadan to Lagos and four trips also from Lagos to Ibadan, making a total of eight trips per day on both ends.

“Every other day, from Dec. 25, we ran three trips from Ibadan to Lagos and Lagos to Ibadan totalling six trips per day,” Unyimadu said.

He, however, complained of passengers boarding the train for the fun of it and having nothing to do in either Ibadan or Lagos during this free service and thereby disallowing those with tangible businesses.

Speaking on the high price charged by motorcycle riders and cab operators to convey passengers to train stations, Unyimadu said it was not the business of the NRC to provide shuttle buses to carry passengers to their destinations.

“Ours is to run the train service and there is little we can do to assist them on that aspect, we are aware that something like that does happen,” he said.