President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned two additional trains and 10 passenger coaches to beef up train services for the Abuja-Kaduna rail line.
The president also commissioned the Kaduna Inland Dry Port at Kakuri.
The President who landed in Kaduna with a chopper, made straight for the railway station at the Rigasa Railway Terminal, in Chikun Local Government of the state to commission the trains.
He was accompanied by the minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi, minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun and was received by the Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The President in his speech recalled his commissioning of the Abuja-Kaduna train service in July, 2016 and said he is glad it has become very useful to commuters as it has become the preferred mode of transport for the journey between Abuja and Kaduna.
He said with the additional facilities, trains can now to depart at the same time from both Kaduna and Abuja.
He said by way of encouraging private sector participation in rail development, negotiation for concession of the narrow gauge railways with a consortium led by General Electric is in progress adding that it is on that basis his administration is creating a more conducive environment for private sector participation by strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks with the Nigeria Railway Authority and National Transport Commission bills before the National Assembly.
At the launch of the inland Dry Port, the President urged Customs and ports officials to make these facilities work and not to frustrate business, commercial and industrial enterprises with unnecessary bureaucracy.
He said that will inflict delays and hardships in the process thereby defeating the object of the whole exercise as has happened in the past.
He urged them to make the facilities work this time.
