PH-Aba Train Services Set To Begin

The rail line connecting Port Harcourt and Aba is expected to fully operate by the end of March.

Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), disclosed this during a Saturday inspection visit to the Port Harcourt facility.

According to Okhiria, the NRC has been assured by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) in charge of the project that passengers will be able to travel to and from Aba by train by the end of March.

He added that plans are in place to connect the Onne Port to the rails so that cargo can be transported to Aba, Umuahia, and Enugu.

“What I can tell Nigerians is that we were able to ride on a train, unlike last time when we went by road to Aba. We went on a train to Elelewa because we had other things to do,” he said.

“We looked at the Port Harcourt Port and see how we are going to access Onne from Elelewa. We did that and compared it to make they had put on ground as a preliminary design. Physical siting will make us make a quick decision on a final design so that we will able to recommend to the minister for approval.

“We just finished a meeting now and the timeline and everything. We are putting pressure that by the end of March, we should be able to start. That is what we have in mind.”