The Abuja Light Rail system has moved over 250,000 passengers in over 100 days since commercial passenger operations started.
An official of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), John Zhao, disclosed this in a post on X, Friday.
The rail system featuring two lines with a total length of 45km was re-commissioned by President Bola Tinubu
earlier this year and is currently operated CCECC.
According to Zhao, the rail network consists of 12 stations, connecting key areas such as the Abuja city centre, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the main railway line, and Kubwa satellite town.
“During its operation, over 250,000 passengers have already been served,” he stated.
“The Phase I of the Abuja Rail Mass Transit by CCECC has been operating safely for over 100 days.
“Consisting of 2 lines with a total length of 45 km and 12 stations, the maximum operating speed of the trains can reach 100 km/h.
“It connects Abuja city centre, the international airport, rail line, and Kubwa satellite town”.
The post further noted that since the Abuja light rail commenced passenger operations, it had significantly reduced traffic jam in the Federal Capital City.
In May 2024, passenger operations were launched on Phase 1 of the rail line, with CCECC currently operating the line.
President Bola Tinubu introduced a two-month free ride service, which was later extended to the end of 2024, significantly boosting public interest and use of the rail system.
The Abuja Rail Mass Transit, constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) and inaugurated in 2018 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, had faced delay in fully commencing operations due to a lack of essential infrastructure, including access roads.
The challenges, along with disruptions caused by the COVID-19 lockdown, led to the project being temporarily halted. To address these issues, several budget allocations were made.
In August 2023, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) awarded a N5 billion contract to CCECC for the rehabilitation of the Abuja Rail Mass Transit.
Further rehabilitation efforts continued with N29 billion allocated in the 2024 Federal Capital Territory statutory budget to support the project.
The original construction of the project cost $823 million.
