LAGOS MARCH 5TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Peoples  Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain and former Delta State Gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has lamented the delay in opening of the Warri-Itakpe railway line corridor after the derailing incident on Sunday, January 22nd, 2023.

Recall that  the Itakpe-Warri rail line which derailed at Km 30 Ajaokuta-Itakpe section of the track at about  12:30hrs on Sunday 22nd January 2023  forced many passengers to be stranded. Thankfully, there was no fatality and no casualty. 

However, Onuesoke who has faulted the delay  in resumption of service to passengers on the rail corridor   while addressing newsmen in Warri, Delta State lamented that the delay has  caused passenger travelling along the Itakpe –Warri rail corridor hardship and financial lose.

He said  before the  incident, travelers from Warri to Abuja has found the rail route to be cheap, safe  and fast in connecting to the Federal Capital Territory, adding that after the suspension those  travelling through the route  became  stranded.

According him, “When the Itakpe-Warri  rail route was inaugurated, I was among those who commended the Federal government and Nigeria Railway Corporation( NRC) over the development because it opened an easy route of travelling from Warri, Delta State through Edo State to Kogi state.  It made as well  easier, cheaper and security safety  for those travelling to Abuja.  Beside, it opened route to  socio-economic benefit as most people now use the opportunity to do business along it.”

Onuesoke, however regretted that since after the derailment incident and suspension  of the  rail route all things have become difficult to those plying  it.

Wondering why it is taking so long for the Railway Corporation of Nigeria (NRC) to repair the damage rail and resume service after a month and two weeks, Onuesoke recalled that when the Abuja –Kaduna rail line corridor  was  derailed,   it took  the corporation just four days delay before service was resumed

Consequently, the PDP Chieftain is appealing to NRC to take the plight of the those travelling through the Itakpe-Warri rail line into consideration by urgently putting into repair the damaged rail line so that  service on the route could commence so as to ameliorate the suffering of travelers plying the route.