NRC Rail Line Generate N7.77bn From 3.89m Passengers In 2025
Rail services operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) transported 3.89 million passengers across Nigeria in 2025, generating a total of N7.77 billion in passenger revenue.
According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its annual rail transportation report, the figures reflect the performance of all rail lines managed by the NRC throughout the year.
The report showed that 929,553 passengers used the rail system in the first quarter of 2025, generating N1.95 billion. Passenger numbers rose further in the second quarter to 989,793, with revenue increasing to N2.28 billion.
In the third quarter, rail services carried 1,028,839 passengers and generated N1.94 billion, maintaining the strong growth recorded earlier in the year.
However, the fourth quarter recorded a slowdown, with 940,476 passengers and N1.60 billion in revenue, representing declines of 9.32 per cent in ridership and 16.30 per cent in revenue compared with the same period in 2024.
Beyond passenger operations, the NRC also generated income from freight services. Rail lines transported 181,520 tonnes of cargo in the first quarter and 210,570 tonnes in the second quarter, before volumes declined to 130,540 tonnes and 110,480 tonnes in the third and fourth quarters respectively.
Freight operations generated N657.03 million in the first quarter and N775.75 million in the second quarter, before falling to N460.03 million in the third quarter and N397.82 million in the fourth quarter.
Other operational receipts also fluctuated during the year, starting at N115.68 million in the first quarter, rising sharply to N371.31 million in the second quarter, before dropping to N43.62 million in the third quarter and closing the year at N75.89 million in the fourth quarter.
The NRC operates long-distance passenger services on key routes including the Lagos–Ibadan Railway, Abuja–Kaduna Railway and Warri–Itakpe Railway.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has earmarked N29.04 billion in the 2026 budget for railway modernisation projects, including upgrades to existing lines and procurement of rolling stock to improve rail services across the country.
