The Senate, yesterday, kicked off a thorough investigation into the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano railway line, more than 10 years after the first trains began operations, amid growing complaints over poor service, ageing infrastructure, and declining passenger numbers.

The upper legislative chamber’s renewed interest comes after lawmakers raised concerns about the deteriorating state of the railway and the inability of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to maintain the line effectively.

The Ad-hoc Committee, originally set up last November but was stalled due to funding constraints, has now been officially revived to probe every aspect of the railway project — from contracts to operations.

Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, shared a firsthand account of his recent journey on the Abuja-Kaduna train, highlighting the line’s decline. What should have been a one-hour trip stretched to over three hours due to worn-out coaches and outdated tracks.

“This is a Nigerian tragedy,” Ningi said, pointing out that daily passenger numbers have fallen drastically — from 10,000 at the line’s launch to fewer than 1,000 on a single shuttle today.

Revenue has likewise dwindled, he added, urging the Senate to treat the railway’s decline as a “national emergency.”

The Abuja-Kaduna railway, completed in 2015 as the first phase of Nigeria’s railway modernisation project, was built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) with largely Chinese project-tied loans. At the time, it was hailed as a symbol of modern, efficient rail travel in Nigeria.

Over the years, however, the line has suffered from poor maintenance, vandalism, derailments, and bandit attacks along the northern corridor. The most recent derailment occurred in August 2025 at Asham, reinforcing the perception that the line is unsafe and poorly managed.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Transport, Adamu Aliero, described the railway as an “eyesore” and emphasised the urgent need for coordinated action to restore it to operational efficiency.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio delivered one of the session’s most memorable moments, using humour to highlight the railway’s inefficiency, stating: “Bicycle — even keke is faster than the Abuja-Kaduna train.”