Now we continue with our Belt and Road Africa series. In today's episode, we take you to Nigeria. The nation is set to increase the capacity of its China-assisted railway service, along the nearly two hundred kilometer Abuja - Kaduna Rail line. As CGTN's Kelechi Emekalam reports, many more passengers are opting for rail transportation for reasons of safety and comfort.

The waiting lounge is packed full - Passengers have had to come here at least 2 hours earlier and even more, just to secure a spot for their trip. More and more people now find the railway service a preferred means of transportation.

ABIGAL KASWANGANDO PASSENGER "When you're traveling by road you'll be scared of accidents, scared of kidnapping and the rest but for this is very fast and very comfortable, you won't be scared of anything."

KELECHI EMEKALAM ABUJA, NIGERIA "Commissioned in July of 2016, the Abuja rail service has benefited many here. An Average 3,500 passengers use the service daily. and Nigerians are hoping for an increase in capacity and expansion."

Currently there are 2 trains that ply the Abuja - Kaduna route. Each train originating from both locations. They have a total of 15 coaches and make 8 trips daily. Still not enough.

PASCAL NNOLI MANAGER, KADUNA RAIL SERVICES "We underestimated the patronage that we're currently having on this corridor because there is no day we don't carry to our full capacity and people are yearning for more rolling stock so that we can serve them better."

The service has conveyed over 1.5 million passengers since operations commenced. However, the benefit of the rail transportation isn't just quantified in the revenue generated alone but also in terms of the lives it has helped to develop. Over 800 direct employments and thousands more indirect.

VICTOR ADAMU OPERATIONS MANAGER, ABUJA-KADUNA TRAIN SERVICE "The coming of the railway into Abuja has really opened up this city and connecting it to Kaduna as well as other cities too. You find out that with this project there is a massive movement of passengers between the 2 cities and this has also encouraged commerce and other businesses taking place."

The service is expected to have a boost by year-end.

KONG TAO GENERAL MANAGER, CCECC RAILWAY PROJECT "At the end of this year there would be 10 more passenger locomotives and 16 coaches will arrive in Nigeria. Now the monthly average capacity the passenger flow is more than 100 thousand. When the new locomotive and coach arrive, the capacity will be doubled."

Nigeria's railway has been in existence for over a hundred years. But the service went extinct following years of neglect and mismanagement. Now there's entire concept of revitalizing it - a 25-year development plan. The Abuja - Kaduna railway project is just one part of a massive ongoing plan for a countrywide expansion, one that's expected to cover over 3000 Km track distance, Kelechi Emekalam CGTN Abuja Nigeria.