Nigerian Railway Corporation says normal train operations on the Port Harcourt-Aba corridor will resume on Tuesday.
This is contained in a statement issued by Dr Onyedikachi Onovo, the District Public Relations Officer, Eastern District, on behalf of the NRC management on Monday in Enugu.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Managing Director of NRC, Dr Kayode Opeifa, had, in a statement on September 5, disclosed that NRC halted the Port Harcourt to Aba train service for routine maintenance.
Onovo stated that “the attention of NRC has been drawn to a video on social media showing passengers of the Port Harcourt-Aba Train Service trekking long distances and even crossing a stream in search of alternative means of transportation.
“This followed the breakdown of the train at Imo River on Wednesday, September 3 at about 16:22 hrs.”
He added that in an earlier statement, the management of the corporation had regretted the inconveniences experienced by the esteemed passengers on the day of the incident.
He explained that the train, which was on its way to Port Harcourt from Aba, suddenly developed an unusual fault and stopped functioning.
He noted that despite the best efforts of NRC’s engineers to revive the locomotive, the fault persisted, adding that “consequently, an alternative engine, Loco 2306, was quickly deployed to rescue the stranded train.
“While some passengers chose to take alternative routes to their destinations, others were conveyed back safely.”
He stressed that the train had since been returned to Port Harcourt and was currently undergoing thorough repairs to ensure it was fit to resume service in line with enhanced quality control.
He said, “All passengers affected by this disruption are advised to visit our stations in Port Harcourt or Aba with evidence of payment for a possible refund or replacement of the train ride.
“We appreciate the concerns raised by the public and deeply value the patience and understanding shown by our passengers during this period.
“The NRC management remained committed to transforming the corporation under the Renewed Hope Agenda and our rail revitalisation programme, ensuring safer, reliable, and customer-friendly rail services across the country.”
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