The Abuja-Kaduna train service has resumed today, eight months after shutdown.However, the fare prices have been reviewed upward for all classes of coaches.
The Minister of Transportation, Alh. Muazu Sambo Jaji announced last week the train service will resume this week and that intending travelers should brace for a new fare regime.
Although the new fare has not been announced publicly by the Nigerian Railway Railways Corporation, the operators of the train service, the new pricing has been effected online on the NRC online ticketing App, our correspondent learned.
Daily Trust reports that details on the new pricing template show that the Inside the Standard coach (economy) now cost N3,600 from the previous N2600, representing a N1,000 increment. The business class now goes for N6,500 as against the N5,000 previously charged. The Executive Class will now go N9,000 as against the N6,000 previously charged. Online purchases will a little extra cost on each fee.
According to a statement by NRC obtained by Punch, the first train will depart Rigasa station in Kaduna to Abuja by 8:00am while the first train in Abuja will depart Idu station train to Kaduna by 9:45 am.
The statement also revealed that as part of the security measures put in place, it would be mandatory for every passenger to present their National Identification Number and a valid boarding ticket before they could board a train, adding that purchase of tickets by proxy was limited only to minors and specific number of adult passengers.
“Online and mobile app ticketing will be available from 8:00am today, December 4, 2022, while the ticket offices at the train stations will open from 6:30am tomorrow, “the statement added.
It will be recalled that terrorists attacked the Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, 2022, kidnapping 168 passengers and killing eight others.
