The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) generated ₦1.95 billion in passenger revenue in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, representing a 37.36 percent increase from the ₦1.42 billion recorded in the same period of 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The NBS Rail Transportation Report indicated steady growth in rail patronage nationwide. Between January and March 2025, a total of 929,553 passengers travelled by train, marking a 37.65 percent rise compared to 675,293 passengers in Q1 2024.

The report also showed that the volume of goods and cargo transported by rail increased to 181,520 tons in Q1 2025, up from 160,650 tons recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. Revenue from freight operations rose by 8.19 percent to ₦657.03 million, compared to ₦607.32 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

Additionally, other receipts, which include income from leasing, station fees, and sundry services, amounted to ₦115.68 million, representing a 355.39 percent surge from ₦25.40 million in Q1 2024.

For context, the NBS noted that in Q4 2024, the rail system transported 1,037,113 passengers, reflecting a 54.29 percent increase from 672,198 passengers in Q4 2023. Passenger revenue during that period stood at ₦1.92 billion, up from ₦1.07 billion in Q4 2023.

However, freight revenue in Q4 2024 dropped slightly by 7.46 percent, from ₦423.22 million in Q4 2023 to ₦391.64 million, while ₦8.93 million was generated from transporting 1,260 tons of goods through pipelines in the same period.

Meanwhile, other receipts for Q4 2024 rose to ₦434.44 million, representing a 10.34 percent increase from ₦393.72 million recorded in Q4 2023.

According to the NBS, the consistent rise in passenger traffic and revenue underscores growing public confidence in Nigeria’s rail transport system, attributed to continued investments in rail infrastructure and service expansion by the NRC.