The Federal Government has announced the resumption of the Abuja-Kaduna rail services (AKTS), following the completion of repairs on the track after the suspected terrorist attack on the tracks. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi made the announcement while inspecting the facility between Rijana and Dutse route on Friday, saying the train services will resume on Saturday, October 23, 2021, adding that the Department of States Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Army have commenced efforts towards apprehending the perpetrators.
“The repair work is completed. What is significant is that the repair was done by our Nigerian engineers and completed in record time,” Amaechi said.
“They moved in today (Friday) and finished today and by tomorrow (Saturday), we expect that the first train will run on the track.”
The minister also noted that with a digital security system in the facility, tracking issues or breaches will be easier and faster.
“The essence of the digital security system is to enable us to know when there is an impact on the rail,” he said.
“There is a sensor, when people cross the rail or do anything, we will be able to know and we will be able to forestall this kind of attack.
“We will get the police to be involved so that they will be here before we install the digital security system. I am happy that our people fixed it.
“I am not happy that the security breach took place but what it has done is that it has shown that we actually have the capacity to fix our rail.”
Vigil360news reports that the Abuja-Kaduna rail services were suspended by the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC on Thursday in a bid to guarantee the safety of passengers after the rail track around Rijana and Dutse was bombed and damaged by suspected terrorists on Wednesday.