- The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa, has assured that measures that would enhance Nigeria's railway sustainability and guide against recurrence of accidents are being put in place to ensure safety on the rail
At an interactive session with journalists at the NUJ FCT Centre, Abuja, according to a statement Monday said that Opeifa said he remained focused on the narrow or standard gauge rail lines.
Among other measures he outlined are institutional reforms, management restructuring, financial sustainability and deepening customers experience, all of which, he said, are part of measures being implemented under his watch.
Also outlined are measures aimed at optimizing the use of the two narrow and standard gauges, freight revolution by train, and optimizing track access by the state governments, while he added that there are efforts by the Federal Government to complete all ongoing rail infrastructure for national development.
He assured that the Tinubu administration is committed to the transformation of the railway adding that most of these initiatives are already nearing fruits.
On the situation report on the train accident, Opeifa said well over 500 of the 618 passengers who traveled in the train have been contacted by the now rejigged customer relations unit of the corporation.
Many of the injured passengers, he further added, were traced even as far as to Zaria, where they were contacted by a team led by himself, the AKTS resident doctor and the NRC Abuja Liaison Officer.
The NRC chief also disclosed that the third coach has been rerailed, by men of the corporation, making a total of three coaches and a locomotive that have been removed from the scene of the accident.
He said his office is directly monitoring situation regarding the accident and urged anyone who knows any of the passengers who are receiving treatment in any hospital to come forward as the corporation is committed to taking care of their medical bills apart from refunding them their travel fares.
He maintained that the Abuja -Kaduna Train Service is safe and secured and assured Nigerians of the determination of the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the NRC to restore the tracks and recommence commercial operation on the line as soon as possible.
He said the Corporation is poised to strength it's institutional restriction, optimizing what it has, with more public sector participation in rail development, and repairing and refurnishing all abandoned locomotives and fixed and rolling stocks, and embarking on aggressive freight by railing revolution which is gaining rapid momentum.
Other initiatives are building more collaborations with development commissions and states to adopt the Track Access Program to create interstate train services for the use of more Nigerians and the continued modernisation of its infrastructure.
Opeifa reiterated that while the Asham incident is a sad development, it has further reinforced his commitment to continue to push forward the realization of the corporation's vision 5:10:20, which ultimately would ensure the realization of the use of renewable energy for operations, moving from diesel to gas, and the introduction of high speed train into the nation's transportation system, with a huge Public Private Participation arrangement to deepen sustainability.