The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed the commencement of reconstruction and rehabilitation works on the Eastern railway corridor, with active work already ongoing between Port Harcourt in Rivers State and Aba, Abia State.
Speaking in Enugu during a national survey on the State of Nigeria’s railway infrastructure, the Railway District Manager for the Eastern District, Victor Adamu, said the Federal Government officially handed over the segment of the project to the NRC on 28 November 2024.
He explained that the Eastern narrow-gauge corridor, which runs from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri in Borno State, covers several states, including Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, and parts of Benue.
While acknowledging a temporary suspension of work on the stretch from Aba through Umuahia to Enugu, Adamu expressed optimism that work would soon resume on the affected segment, under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He further revealed that during an April 2025 visit to Enugu by the NRC Managing Director, Mr Kayode Opeifa, meaningful discussions were held with the governors of Abia and Enugu States on reviving the corridor.
According to Adamu, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has introduced a policy allowing state governments to invest in railway infrastructure.
He said the governments of Anambra, Abia, and Enugu have shown interest in leveraging the policy to support the revitalisation of the Eastern line.
He, however, raised concerns over vandalism, describing it as the biggest challenge to the project. He said the NRC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the military, and local vigilantes, had made arrests in Imo, Rivers, and Enugu States, with several suspects already facing trial.
Railway operations in Enugu had been suspended for more than two decades, but the NRC says the renewed construction efforts mark a major step towards restoring rail transport services across the Eastern corridor.
