By JONAH NWOKPOKU

The demand in intercity rail service is on the rise as the Nigeria railway makes a comeback in the transport sector.

The huge patronage of the rail transport has however led to unquantifiable congestion, situation passengers say, makes rail travel a harrowing experience.

The Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC has said a fortnight ago, that over thirty thousand passengers have been moved within that last two months but Vanguard investigation has revealed that much more than that figure have been moved on the weekly intercity train service.

Our correspondent who joined the train to Kano observed that the ninety-five capacity coach contained more than one hundred and fifty passengers. Every available space contained human being or luggage including the aisles, the couplers and the toilets.

Officials say it is an attempt to accommodate as many that want to travel by the rail.

“How would you feel if you get to the station and only to be told that there is no train?” one of the railway officials quipped when asked why they are permitting congestion.

But most passengers regret the situation arguing that the railway authority is abusing the interest saying the train is causing more suffering to the people.

“In fact I am very sick now. I stood from Osogbo to Mokwa, now everywhere is paining me. And I paid money not as if it is free. How could NRC pack people like this? A coach that was supposed to carry about 90 passengers carrying about 150 people, and then you still have more loads than human beings.

I think government has provided this thing to solve the transportation problem of the masses but what obtains now is actually increasing their suffering.” Quadri, a student of Bayero University Kano who joined the Lagos bound Kano at Osogbo, said.