The Senate has commenced investigation into operational inefficiencies and insecurity in the Nigerian railway system, following concerns over declining service delivery.
The decision to launch the probe followed a personal explanation raised during plenary on Thursday by a lawmaker who drew the attention of the Senate to the deteriorating state of key rail corridors in the country.
Consequently, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio inaugurated an ad hoc committee to carry out a holistic investigation into the Nigerian railway system.
The committee has been mandated to examine the execution of rail projects, funding, operational efficiency and service delivery and is expected to submit its report within six weeks.
The committee was initially constituted in November 2025 and is chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
Commenting on the state of rail services, Senator Akpabio expressed concern over the declining speed of the Abuja–Kaduna train service, lamenting that the journey time has deteriorated to the point where a bicycle or Keke Napep could reach Kaduna faster than the train.
The concerns were earlier raised by Senator Abdul Ningi, who drew the Senate’s attention to the condition of the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano rail line, alleging that the contract for the project was poorly executed.
Senator Ningi further claimed that despite the rail line generating over 1.8 billion naira in revenue, there has been no corresponding improvement in services.
He further noted that while the journey from Abuja to Kaduna initially took about one and a half hours, it now takes approximately three and a half hours to cover the same distance.
Additionally, he asserted that train operations on the route have been reduced to one trip daily, with a departure from Abuja at 7:00 a.m. and a return trip from Kaduna, compared to the multiple daily trips that were previously available.
