The Federal Government has pledged to improve on infrastructure at all the rail stations along Warri-Itape route to ease the plights of passengers patronising rail services on that axis.
Dr Magdalene Ajani, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation made the pledge on Saturday in Lokoja, while addressing journalists after the inspection of facilities at the rail stations on the route.
Ajani said that power supply was the major challenge facing the stations, thereby, making it difficult to power the stations with boreholes and other equipment.
“The main problem we have in Itape-Warri railway route is the power and those who are familiar with the case know that the procumbent process was stalled.
“And we are trying to resolve this with both Federal Ministry of Justice and public procurement for us to be able to proceed and make sure that we have light.
“Most of the stations here have boreholes, but the boreholes have to be powered by light for us to pump the water to the reservoirs and to serve the stations,“ Ajani explained.
She said the situation was a huge challenge which was the reason for the visit, to proffer solutions to them.
“And in the terms of solving this power problem, I know that we have awarded the contract to Mikano company to supply generators to all the stations so that the places can be powered so water can run in the stations.
“And going back home, we have to know why the delay in the installation of those generators.”
Ajani said that the visit was to further assess other challenges based on the passengers’ complaints so as to capture what could not be done in 2021, to include them in the 2022 budget.
According to her, the government is also planning to collaborate with private sector operators to build hotels in all the stations for those who may arrive late and the ones intending to catch up with the morning trains to their destinations.
“The government can’t do everything but we are trying to make sure that private individuals can come in and partner with us and build those hotels at the stations.
“This is to address accommodation issues for our clients, “ she said. (NAN)