In the first quarter of 2024, a significant increase in the number of Nigerians using rail transportation was recorded, according to data released by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The data shows a 52.88 per cent rise in rail travel compared to the first quarter of 2023, reflecting a growing preference for rail transportation among Nigerians.
In Q1 2024, a total of 675,293 passengers travelled via the rail system, up from 441,725 in the corresponding quarter of 2023. This increase highlights the expanding popularity and reliability of rail travel within the country.
The volume of goods and cargo transported via rail in Q1 2024 reached 160,650 tons, compared to 59,966 tons in Q1 2023. Additionally, the NRC reported an extra 8,000 tons of goods transported via pipeline during this period.
In terms of revenue generation, N1.42 billion was received from passengers during the reference period, marking an increase of 84.91 per cent from the N768.44 million recorded in the same quarter of the previous year.
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Similarly, N607.32 million was collected from goods and cargo conveyed via rail in Q1 2024, up by 235.03 per cent from N181.27 million received in Q1 2023.
Revenue generated from the movement of goods/cargo via pipeline stood at N59.14 million in Q1 2024. Other receipts amounted to N25.40 million, indicating a decline of 25.65 per cent from the N34.17 million received in Q1 2023.
Railways in Nigeria consist of a 3,505 km Cape gauge national railway network and 669 km of standard gauge.
The Cape gauge network is in poor condition due to lack of maintenance. In 2019, the single operational standard gauge line from Abuja to Kaduna generated as much revenue as the entire Cape gauge railway network combined.
The Nigerian government plans to extend the standard gauge to replace most of the Western Line, while the Eastern Line will be rehabilitated as a Cape gauge line. All trains in Nigeria are operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
At present, railways in the country have taken a new dimension by being augmented from the old classification to modern standards. The expansion of the rail lines now links many states and towns, enhancing transport expediency. The Western Line, which connects Lagos on the Bight of Benin to Nguru in the northern state of Yobe, spans the rail network in Nigeria.
The current active train routes in Nigeria include:
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