Nigerian Railway Corporation to restart Abuja-Kaduna Passenger Trains after terror attack hhutdown
Nigeria's federal transportation ministry has instructed the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to resume train services between Abuja and Kaduna in northern Nigeria after a terror attack in March closed the line.
NRC said trains between the two cities would restart on 23 May.
The NRC halted passenger services on the route following the attack on 28 March in which nine people were killed and some 62 people were kidnapped by rebels.
BBC News reported this week that a pregnant woman and a bank executive had been freed on compassionate grounds.
The Nigerian authorities blamed the attack on members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram who had teamed up with kidnapping gangs operating in the north west of the country, the BBC added.
Meanwhile, the government was continuing efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted passengers, the NRC said, without giving the details due to security concerns.
"However, 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," the government said in a statement published on the NRC website.
"The federal government will never abdicate its responsibility in rescuing these valuable citizens, however, the government assures of its resolve not to succumb to threats by any faceless group."
The NRC said additional security measures had been implemented at railway stations and along the line to ensure train safety.
"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," the utility said.
The NRC said passengers would be required to comply with additional measures such as supplying their National Identification Numbers (NIN) at check-in as well as having valid photo identification cards.
Ticket purchases would also have to contain the passengers' individual profile or identification data.
The restarted service will comprise double daily trains in each direction.
