The federal government has launched a new initiative to offer free train rides nationwide, aiming to alleviate the financial strain on Nigerians and ensure a seamless travel experience during the festive season.
This special offer, running from December 20 to January 5, 2025, allows Nigerians to travel at no cost, bringing holiday cheer to those looking to visit loved ones or enjoy a break.
Mr. Ben Iloanusi, Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), shared the corporation’s ambitious plan to transport over 340,000 passengers during this period.
He made the announcement at the Kubwa train station in Abuja on Friday, shortly after the first train departed for Rigasa, Kaduna State.
In addition to the free fares, Mr. Iloanusi emphasised that heightened security measures are in place to ensure passenger safety, manage crowds, and maintain smooth operations throughout the holiday season.
He said: “Today is the first free ride palliative set by the federal government, and It’s a very grand idea. We assure Nigerians that we will enforce the free train ride and make sure it goes successfully.”
About requirements to board the train, Iloanusi said: “Prospective passengers are expected to book their tickets online free of charge and then come with a means of identification to the station before boarding and for those who may be unable to get tickets online, they would be profiled by our staff before they board.”
Talking of the number of passengers the Corporation estimates to transport during the festive season, he said: “We have an average of 20,000 passengers every day that will ride the train free of charge. So approximately, we are going to carry about 340,000 passengers over the period. We are expecting this to last until early January. So today, on average, we’ve done 20,000 across the routes where the free train ride is happening.
“The routes are Abuja-Kaduna route, Lagos-Ibadan route, Port Harcourt-Aba route, Lagos-Mass Transit route, and Wari-Itakpe route. Today, all the routes went seamlessly. The passengers boarded those with tickets and those without tickets. The ones without tickets were profiled.
“I want to appeal to Nigerians and our passengers to be orderly. I encourage all Nigerians who want to travel to make their travel plans early and book online. The tickets are available. It makes it easy for us to allow them to board if they have a ticket. And importantly, please, they should ensure they have a valid identification; NIN, international passport, or a valid driver’s licence.
“This initiative is to show that the federal government is trying to ease the burden of the masses. The palliative is one of the ways the federal government is trying to do this.”
