Rail bosses confident that e-ticketing will make the new railways lines big money spinners

NIGERIA'S ongoing rail improvement programme is expected to begin generating significant revenue for the government son with the Lagos-Ibadan standard service alone earmarked to raise over N12.4bn ($30m) within the next four years.

Over the last decade, Nigeria has begun the process of upgrading her antiquated railway network built by the British as far back as 1896. Still very much stuck in the 19th century, the network made up of 3,505 km of narrow gauge track on which industrial revolution era rolling stock trains run, at speeds of about 50km an hour.

In 2006, the government entered into a contract with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation to build a standard gauge line between Lagos and Kano. With the expansion proceeding, the Infrastructure Construction Regulatory Commission (ICRC) believes that thanks to the introduction of e-ticketing, the Lagos-Ibadan line will soon be a money spinner.

Mike Ohiani, the acting ICRC director-general, added that over N9.6bn will be generated from the Warri-Itakpe standard train service within the period under review. He said the overall scope of the project is for the designing, financing, building, operation, managing the secured e-ticketing solution hardware and software for passenger station on Lagos-Ibadan standard train service and the Warri-Itakpe.

Delivering the official Outline Business Case presentation on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Train Service and the Warri-Itakpe Standard Train Service to Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in Lagos, Mr Ohiani was upbeat. He said the e-ticket solution will make travelling experience for passengers very easy, adding that in the comfort of their homes, they can purchase their tickets.

Mr Ohiani said: “We are here this morning to provide the certificate showing that the project is bankable and starting from Monday, we will secure a credible concessionaire that will manage the e-ticketing solution. We want to assure Nigeria that once this project is concluded, they will get efficient services and there will be improvement in the nation’s railway transportation system.”

Fidet Okhiria, the NRC managing director said that since the introduction of e-ticketing, revenue generation has gone up drastically as users have been encouraged to use trains as leakages have been blocked. He added that the fear of ticket racketeering has also reduced by e-ticketing technology.