FG Begins Eastern Rail Line Repairs After Two Decades

The Federal Government has officially commenced the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Eastern rail corridor, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). Speaking during a national survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Enugu, the Railway District Manager for the Eastern District, Mr. Victor Adamu, confirmed that work on the narrow gauge has already started from Port Harcourt in Rivers State to Aba in Abia State.

He explained that the corridor stretches from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, traversing Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, and part of Egbede in Benue State. “I am very happy to state that the segment of the contract was handed over to NRC on Nov. 28, 2024. We have our coaches that are running from Port Harcourt to Aba and back to Port Harcourt, five days in a week,” he said. However, Adamu acknowledged a pause in work between Aba and Enugu but assured that efforts were underway to resume that section soon.

According to Adamu, the renewed work aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which also encourages state government investment in railway development. “Sometime in April, the Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, visited Enugu and we had some meaningful discussions with the governors of Abia and Enugu States. I believe that the visit will really bring out a lot of things that are going to happen on this corridor,” he noted.

He revealed that the governments of Anambra, Abia, and Enugu are ready to take advantage of this policy shift. On challenges, Adamu pointed to vandalism as a major issue affecting track materials and railway infrastructure. He said NRC is collaborating with the Nigeria Police, NSCDC, the military, and vigilante groups to tackle the menace. “There are some suspected vandals who were arrested in Imo, Rivers and Enugu states. We are doing these because these facilities are meant for Nigerians, and we are expected to own them as Nigerians,” he added. Notably, rail services in Enugu had been inactive for over two decades before this renewed effort.