COVID-19: FG makes u-turn, says rail service won't shut down

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has rescinded the earlier decision to shut down train services nationwide.

The corporation had in a statement by its spokesman, Yakub Mahmood, announced the shutdown of all passenger train services with effect from Monday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It said the board and management of the corporation approved the shutdown which affects all train services including Abuja-Kaduna train.

However, in a message sent to our correspondent, Mahmood said the board and management “have reviewed the situation and decided to provide passengers train services with the listed conditionalities…”

According to him, passengers would provide full names, address, date of birth and means of identity.

“We enjoin all passengers to please cooperate with any other measures put in place to protect ourselves from ourselves,” the statement said.

Freelanews learnt that the decision to rescind the earlier announcement was informed by the intervention of some highly placed Nigerians who patronized the Abuja-Kaduna train.

A source said, “It was impressed on the NRC board that shutting down all train services including the highly patronised Abuja-Kaduna train would not augur well in view of the security situation on the road.”