The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has cancelled the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) scheduled for 19th February 2025, citing “unforeseen circumstances”.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports NRC made the cancellation known in an email notice sent to travellers who had already booked tickets and were ready to travel for the day.
The notice titled: “train service cancellation and refund for 19th February bookings” reads in part below:
“Dear Customer, we regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, the train service scheduled for 19th February 2025 has been cancelled.
“Please be assured that a refund of your payment will be processed automatically to your account.
“Additionally, we kindly advise you not to visit the train station, as there will be no train operation across the stations.
“We deeply regret this disruption to your plans and assure you that this is a temporary issue”.
Meanwhile, the nature of the “unforeseen circumstances” could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
It was, however, gathered that the train arrived at Itakpe in Kogi State from Ujevwu in Delta State on Tuesday very late and could not make the usual return.
“It was only this morning the train left Itakpe with passengers the train could not take to Warri yesterday,” a source told this medium.
TNG reports passengers, who had their tickets cancelled, were expected to have left Ujevwu at 8:00 am today with the train expected to arrive in Itakpe at about 2:30 pm and then take passengers back to Delta.
This cancellation is expected to impact hundreds of passengers, and highlights the challenges facing rail transport operations in the country.
Passengers have speculated that several sections of the rail tracks where derailments have occurred in the past have been left without repair work done. They said this slows down the train and makes travel time longer.
Passengers have also lamented the lack of maintenance for the loco and coaches. Passengers also reported that unscrupulous elements have taken over the ticketing platform of the WITS.
“They have collected NINs and opened email addresses with which they buy all seats available on the train.
“By the time you log in to the portal, all seats are sold out. When you get to the train station, you find one person taking travellers for validating tickets after selling the tickets at exorbitant prices,” one of the passengers, who asked to be anonymous, said.
Workers, who spoke off record, confirmed this ugly trend taking place at the Warri-Itakpe train route.
To address the ugly trend, NRC had said in a notice that beginning from Monday 17th February 2025, passengers whose IDs do not match their tickets would not be allowed to board the train.
Daddy Showkey visits NRC boss, tables challenges of Warri-Itakpe train service
Meanwhile, on Monday, Nigerian reggae artist, John Asiemo, popularly known as Daddy Showkey visited Dr Kayode Opeifa, the Managing Director of NRC in his office in Lagos State.
TNG reports Daddy Showkey was invited by Dr Opeifa to NRC’s headquarters to brief the management about his recent experience on the Warri-Itakpe train service route.
Speaking during the visit, the galala legend said the invitation to meet with the management of the corporation came to him as a pleasant surprise.
Daddy Showkey narrated that his experience during the trip from Warri on the train was not pleasant, disclosing that passengers oversubscribed the trip and flooded the coaches standing.
He, however, noted that the invitation by the NRC boss revalidated his conviction that President Bola Tinubu made the right choice in appointing Opeifa as the NRC’s Managing Director.
“I have confidence in Opeifa’s competence in driving change in the railway corporation judging from his track records as the Commissioner for Transportation in Lagos State,” Daddy Showkey said.
He called on the corporation to improve on the online booking system, and deploy more passenger coaches and even wagons to accommodate farm produce on the route.
NRC working to make rail transport better – Opeifa
Speaking when Daddy Showkey visited, Dr Opeifa, said the NRC was determined to make railway a preferred mobility alternative across the country.
Opeifa said that the provision of passenger coaches and wagons were top priority for the management aimed at providing convenient mobility alternative that would be affordable, safe and secure for all Nigerians.
Opeifa said he invited Daddy Showkey to the corporation’s headquarters, to brief the management on his recent experience on the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS).
The NRC boss said that Daddy Showkey had entertained passengers when the train had a short delay as a result of logistic challenges.
The managing director thanked the reggae artiste for converting an issue into an opportunity, and assured that the management was working to surmount all challenges and attract more Nigerians to patronise the railway.
“The corporation is working at developing a dedicated portal for feedback mechanism to enable train passengers report their experiences directly.
“This is to ensure that such will be taken onboard and be addressed holistically to achieve a more people-friendly train service.
“The management under me is determined to put such in place,” Opeifa said.
He commended Nigerians for appreciating the services of the corporation and patronising train services as alternatives to getting to their destinations.
“It is reassuring that celebrities such as Daddy Showkey found an opportunity to ride on our train.
“It is even more gratifying that rather than join in adding to the stress and discomfort that our passengers might be going through, decided to entertain them by singing, thereby, lifting their spirits.
“This is salutary and a welcome development for which we are very happy,” Opeifa said.