TheCable

Three days into the test run, 8,051 passengers on Abuja-Kaduna train route reportedly accessed the e-ticketing platform of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).

Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni, media assistant to the minister of transportation, said in a statement on Sunday.

The federal government on January 13 announced the commencement of the e-ticketing test run on Abuja-Kaduna train route.

Elebiyo-Edeni said on the first day of the test booking, 1,174 passengers used the platform to purchase tickets while 3,479 passengers accessed the e-ticketing platform on the second day and 3,398 passengers accessed the platform on the third day.

The train service, which was inaugurated for commercial operations in 2016, had faced the challenge of racketeering which led to extortion of passengers.

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, had said the e-ticketing platform was introduced to resolve the challenges of racketeering and eradicate touts at the train stations.

Amaechi said the federal government will officially inaugurate the e-ticketing for the Abuja-Kaduna train route on January 20, 2021.

The media assistant to the minister added that the purchase of tickets at train stations is still available to enable those who cannot do so online.