New coaches for Abuja-Kaduna train arrive

Coaches procured by the Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC) for the Abuja-Kaduna train service have arrived Abuja at the weekend, Daily Trust gathered.

Out of the ten coaches being expected, four have arrived Abuja and are being mounted.

Our correspondent, who visited the Idu Abuja train station at the weekend, reports that four of the locomotives were being offloaded.

Boogies of the trains were being positioned for eventual mounting of the coaches.

The NRC Abuja liaison officer, Mr Pascal Nnorli told our correspondent at the site that the remaining six coaches would arrive anytime soon.

He said out of the ten coaches, six are economy, two executives and two baggage vans.

The NRC plans to commission the coaches on January 15, 2018.

Four months ago, the two locomotives to be used on the existing and new coaches arrived Abuja.

The managing Director of Nigeria Railway, Fidet Okhiria recently said when the new coaches are deployed; challenges of meeting passenger demands would be surmounted.

Meanwhile, NRC said training of drivers to operate the new trains has been completed.

When the new coaches are deployed, the Abuja-Kaduna train service would have one express train service and hourly train operations, Okhiria said.