Nigeria's President Muhamadu Buhari has commissioned additional standard rail coaches and rail vehicles to ease the pressure on the newly constructed Abuja Kaduna railway system. The upgrade is expected to boost the number of rail travelers between the two cities to one million annually. CGTN's Kelechi Emekalam reports.

President Muhammadu Buhari, arriving the Kaduna rail station, to unveil the new coaches. 10 coaches and 2 locomotives - top with the ever growing demand between Abuja and Kaduna. The 186 kilometers standard gauge railway system is Nigeria's first. It cost over $800 million and $500 of that provided was a concessionary loan from China Eximbank. President Buhari 's government is pursuing an ambitious infrastructure programme. So far his government has borrowed close to $10 billion mostly from China to build standard gauge railway system across the country.

MUHAMMADU BUHARI NIGERIAN PRESIDENT "This is not only a statement of intent but a benchmark which we are using to measure the performance of our administration. Our resolve to develop our rail system to world class standard remains. To achieve this I'm using this opportunity to solicit the support of all relevant stakeholders especially the national assembly and our development partners to realize this objective."

Abuja Kaduna railway has been operational since last year. It has cut travel time between two cities from two and half hours to just one and half. And that has made it the most preferred mode of transport for many plying the route.

ROTIMI AMAECHI NIGERIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER "As the demand is far above what was available and it is in response to that and the promise of Mr president that we're rounding off this service by increasing the fleet size of locomotives and coaches as well as the frequency. The implication Mr President is that we will no longer see ticket racketeering, nobody would be sending us text messages and issue of passengers protesting at train stations because of inadequate service."

Nigeria existing rail system was built during during the colonial era- in total of 3,505km long but most now lies in ruin and most are out of service. Kelechi Emekalam, CGTN, Abuja, Nigeria.