The Nigerian government has ordered the immediate suspension of the free train ride for passengers on the Itakpe-Warri route.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, gave the order in Agbor, Delta State, during an inspection tour of works on various train stations along the route.
In November 2018, operations on the Itakpe-Warri railway resumed after the rehabilitation of the 316 kilometer standard gauge rail line.
Since then, passengers have taken trips on the locomotives, free of charge.
Six months after, the Minister of Transportation returned with key players in the industry to X-ray its operations and ascertain the level of work on the train stations.
The Itakpe-Warri railway which cross Kogi, Edo, and Delta States, has 12 train stations currently at various levels of completion.