NRC deploys 93 refurbished coaches to Lagos-Kano intercity passenger service

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Friday said it had completed the refurbishment of three air-conditioned coaches, 90-seater standard class coaches for the comfort and safety of its passengers.

The corporation’s Managing Director, Mr Adeseyi Sijuwade, made the disclosure during an inspection tour of the refurbished coaches and its security formations in Lagos.

He said the coaches had been deployed to the Lagos-Kano intercity passenger train service, to meet up with the increasing number of passengers.

Sijuwade said: “I am pleased to officially announce the completion of refurbishment of three air-conditioned sleeper coaches and eight 90-seater standard class coaches for the comfort and safety of our customers.

“These coaches having been coupled, are now on our Lagos-Kano intercity passenger train with adequate police security, restaurants and first aid facilities for the comfort of our passengers.’’

Sijuwade added that the corporation had mapped out adequate security for the service.

“We have virtually put in quite a number of security measures all over the place, starting from the Iddo Terminus, which is our flagship station.

“We have a deployment of armed policemen, Man O’ War, with our own security oufit, scanning all passengers before boarding all the trains.

“All the goods and luggage are scanned and checked properly before we load them into our luggage vans.

The managing director commended the efforts of other directors and management staff for their support in repositioning the corporation.

He, therefore, assured its teeming commuters of more coaches and better services in 2016.

National Daily reports that the managing director was accompanied by other directors of the corporation, as well as the Commissioner of Police, Railway Command, Mr Pius Imue.

In his remarks, Imue said: “We have been doing our best to curb the activities of the hoodlums. We have struck and made several arrests and they have been prosecuted.

“We have planned intermittent raiding which have been sustained and we will not stop until we have permanent structures like barriers around the rail lines that will totally prevent anybody from climbing on the trains.’’

The police boss, however, added that the number of such incidents had continued to decline, following the sustenance of the raids