The Osun State Government has explained why it cancelled its free train service for holidaymakers coming to the state for this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
The state government stated that the free train ride was cancelled due to a train accident around the Abeokuta-Lagos old gauge line, causing a blockage.
A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Cooperatives, and Empowerment, Mrs Kehinde Odediran, on Monday, said the accident affected part of the train track, halting any train movement on the Lagos-Abeokuta line.
The statement further mentioned that a report from the Nigeria Railway Corporation revealed that the ongoing maintenance made it impossible for trains to move on the track at the moment.
The statement further read, “Osun state government regrets to announce that the annual Imole Free Train service scheduled to convey hundreds of passengers from Lagos state to Osun to mark the Eid-el-Kabir celebration will no longer hold. This unfortunate development is a result of serious technical issues currently experienced by the Nigeria Railway Corporation.
“We wish to state with all sense of responsibility and in line with the ideals of Senator Ademola Adeleke’s annual Imole free train service, that as soon as the technical hitches get rectified, normal services will resume accordingly.”
