The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has moved the opening time for online ticket bookings on the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) from midnight to 6:00 a.m. daily.

The new arrangement takes effect today, October 1, 2026, according to a notice issued by the Management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

Under the revised schedule, passengers seeking tickets for the Abuja-Kaduna service will no longer be able to access newly released tickets from 12:00 midnight. Instead, online booking will open from 6:00 a.m. each day.

The NRC advised passengers to take note of the change and plan their bookings accordingly.

The adjustment comes amid continuing complaints from passengers over difficulties accessing the AKTS online ticketing platform and the intense competition for the limited seats available on the route.

With only one train currently operating daily in each direction, demand for tickets remains significantly higher than available capacity, leaving many intending passengers competing for seats when booking opens.

Some passengers have also complained about difficulties logging into their profiles, while others say tickets are often shown as unavailable shortly after booking opens.

The Corporation has recently introduced measures aimed at strengthening the integrity of the e-ticketing system, including the re-verification of existing passenger profiles using one-time passwords (OTPs) linked to passengers’ registered telephone numbers.

The re-verification exercise, according to the NRC, is intended to eliminate “bad actors” from the platform and make it easier for genuine passengers to book tickets.

The change in booking time means passengers will now have to adjust their booking routines, particularly those who previously logged into the platform shortly before midnight to secure tickets.

For many regular AKTS users, however, the central concern remains the gap between demand and available capacity. The change in booking time may alter when passengers compete for tickets, but it does not by itself increase the number of seats available on the route.

The NRC has previously indicated that it is working to improve capacity on the Abuja-Kaduna service, including the addition of coaches to the operating rake. The Corporation has also said that efforts are continuing to improve the reliability and security of its electronic ticketing system.

Passengers have therefore been advised to use the official booking platform and avoid sharing their passwords, OTPs or other personal authentication details with third parties.

The NRC said the revised 6:00 a.m. opening time is intended to provide a uniform daily schedule for online ticket bookings and urged passengers to plan accordingly. (Daily Trust)