The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), however, says the reality is more complicated. While acknowledging that ticket racketeering exists, the Corporation insists that the biggest challenge is a simple imbalance between demand and capacity.
According to the NRC, more than 5,000 passengers seek to travel on the corridor daily, yet each train carries only 664 passengers. With only two trips operating each day, demand far exceeds the number of available seats.
The situation was not always this severe.
At one point, three train sets operated on the route, making up to 10 trips daily, with services reduced only on Wednesdays for maintenance. Today, only one train is in service, making two daily trips, while Wednesdays remain maintenance days.
The reduction in capacity has inevitably intensified competition for tickets.
By the time bookings open at midnight, thousands of passengers may already be waiting online. In such circumstances, even a perfectly functioning booking platform cannot satisfy everyone.
If 2,000 passengers attempt to book 664 seats at the same time, more than half will inevitably miss out. For many unsuccessful travellers, the experience creates the impression that something has gone wrong, when, in reality, demand has simply overwhelmed supply.
That scarcity has also created fertile ground for racketeers. To curb abuse of the system, the NRC introduced NIN-based ticketing through its booking partner, Transport Payment Solutions (TPS). Every ticket is linked to the passenger’s identity, allowing officials to verify the traveller before boarding.
The measure was intended to stop anonymous bulk purchases and make it difficult for touts to trade in railway tickets.
But the racketeers adapted
Rather than creating fake identities, some now persuade passengers to hand over their booking details, including their NIN information and login credentials, promising to secure tickets on their behalf. In many cases, they do obtain the ticket. The problem is that they retain the passenger’s profile and continue using it for future transactions.
The consequences often emerge at the station.
Callistus Unyimadu is Head, PR at NRC.
A passenger who buys such a ticket may present a valid booking reference, only for the verification device to display the photograph and details of another person. The result is immediate denial of boarding, leaving the traveller stranded despite paying for the journey.
The Corporation has repeatedly warned passengers never to share their NIN, passwords or booking profiles with anyone, stressing that doing so undermines the safeguards built into the system.
To tighten security further, TPS has completed pilot testing of an OTP-based re-verification exercise expected to be introduced soon.
Under the arrangement, every account holder will be required to confirm ownership through a one-time password sent to the registered telephone number.
The objective is straightforward: eliminate passenger profiles being controlled by third parties. Without access to the registered phone number, a racketeer will be unable to retain control of another person’s account.
TPS is also preparing to roll out an upgraded version of the Breeze booking application with improved security and a more user-friendly interface.
While these digital reforms are expected to make the booking process more secure, they cannot solve the problem at the heart of the Abuja-Kaduna corridor. Technology cannot create seats where none exist.
Even if every ticket tout disappeared tomorrow, passengers would still compete for a limited number of seats. As long as demand continues to outstrip capacity, tickets will sell out within minutes.
That reality points to the long-term solution: more operational trains and additional daily trips. Increased capacity would reduce the desperation that fuels the black market and make it easier for passengers to obtain tickets through official channels.
The responsibility, however, is shared.
The NRC must continue to strengthen its ticketing system, investigate allegations of racketeering and sanction anyone found compromising the process. Passengers, on their part, must resist the temptation to patronise touts or disclose personal information that could be used to manipulate their booking profiles.
For now, the midnight rush for Abuja-Kaduna train tickets reflects both the growing popularity of rail travel and the limitations of a system struggling to meet demand.
Until more trains return to the corridor, competition for seats will remain intense. But with stronger technology, tighter identity verification and greater public vigilance, the Corporation hopes the seats that are available will at least go to the passengers for whom they were intended.
Callistus Unyimadu is Deputy Director, Press NRC.