By GABRIEL AGBEJA

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said on Friday that free train rides were open to no fewer than 340,000 passengers across the country from Dec. 20, 2024 to Jan. 5, 2025.

NRC acting Managing Director, Mr Ben Iloanuse, made this known while addressing newsmen after a train started the operation, carrying passengers from the Kubwa Railway Station to Kaduna.

He said that no fewer than 20,000 passengers would be conveyed daily from their stations to various destinations.

?So, we have an average of 20,000 passengers every day that will ride the train free of charge. Approximately, we are going to carry about 340,000 passengers over the period.

?As we commence today, we are expecting this to last until early January. So, today, on average, we have done 20,000 across some routes where the free train is happening.

?The routes are Abuja-Kaduna route, Lagos-Ibadan route, Port Harcourt-Abia route, Lagos Mass Transit route and Wari-Itakpe route.

?This morning, all went seamlessly,? he said.

Iloanuse said that passengers with tickets boarded the trains and those without tickets were profiled.

He urged passengers to use the initiative of the Federal Government by making their plans early.

?Book online, the tickets are available. It makes it easy for us to allow you to board if you have a ticket. Also, importantly, please ensure you have a valid identification like NIN, international passport, valid driver`s licence.

?To ease the burden of the masses, the palliative is one of the ways the Federal Government is trying to do this, and this palliative will last till early January 2025.

?In terms of security, we have beefed up our security. Some of you at this Kubwa Railway station, you will admit that you notice the presence of extra security on ground, ? he said.

According to him, NRC has put effective system in place to ensure that people cannot buy multiple tickets.

Passengers that spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) commended the Federal Government for the initiative.

Mrs Aina Omoworare, a civil servant, who appreciated President Bola Tinubu?s initiative in transport sector, said she enjoyed the same palliative last year.

She said that she was also going to Kaduna free of charge by train this year, to return next year.

Mr Muhammed Idris, a trader, said he thought the initiative was not true, but was glad that the government was fulfilling the announcement. (NAN)

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