The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, has announced that the Port Harcourt to Aba rail line is poised to begin full operations by the end of March.
Okhiria made this known during an inspection visit to the project site in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The project, spearheaded by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), has progressed according to schedule, and assurances have been given that commuters will be able to travel seamlessly between Port Harcourt and Aba via train by the conclusion of March.
Okhiria underscored the strategic importance of this rail link, emphasising its potential to enhance transportation efficiency and connectivity.
He also revealed plans to expand the rail network by linking the Onne Port, a move that aims to facilitate the movement of goods to key cities such as 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 be 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.”
