Warri-Itakpe train service resumes operation

The Federal Government has offered passengers of the Warri-Itakpe train service with a safety pledge as operations resume on Monday.

The safety assurance is issued in response to the train accident that occured at the Major General David Ejor rail station on Thursday.

On Sunday, Senator Ahmed Alkali, the Minister of Transportation, visited the Agbor-Abraka rail station for an on-site inspection and took the opportunity to reassure the public of the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of passengers.

During the inspection, the Minister, Senator Ahmed Alkali (represented by the acting Permanent Secretary, Mr. Pius Oteh), noted that their initial observation revealed that the damaged track had been successfully repaired.

He said, “Our first observation is to see that normalcy has been restored. We are here in the directive of Minister who is concerned when the accident happened on Thursday night.

“The NRC is the operator of all our rail services and we are aware that they have already begin to take preliminary steps to ascertain what happened and ensure everybody was safe and conduct further investigation. “As supervisory ministry of NRC also find the need to have a first assessment of the situation.

“You know that Warri-Itakpe railway is a critical component of our National railway infrastructure. We are happy to be here and express Minister concerned.

“We are happy that the incident did not led to any casualty, it an operational issue and we are happy to see that NRC has used their internal resource to fix the track.

“By tomorrow Monday, the train will resume its operation. We thanked God that the accident did not claimed any life.”

While commending the Nigeria Railway Corperation for efficient and effective service over the years, the minister disclosed that to run two sessions daily is on course.

On the issue of kidnapping around railway, the Minister said that security agencies are working very well to address the trend.

He assured safety of the public and encouraging them to continue using the train, noting that efforts are ongoing to entend the railway line to Abuja.

During the inspection, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Freeborn Okhiria, urged the people of Delta State to take ownership and responsibility for the railway facilities, emphasizing that these assets belong to the community and not to the President or the Minister.

He also mentioned that the NRC is working to increase the number of coaches, but the operating hours have been restricted due to security concerns, highlighting the need for collective efforts to address these issues.