Kaduna-Kano rail line to begin operations December 3, APC campaign council says
The Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway will be inaugurated on December 3, 2026, as the Federal Government steps up efforts to complete major rail projects in Northern Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has said.
The 203-kilometre Kaduna-Zaria-Kano railway project is about 90 per cent complete, while the 400-kilometre Kano-Katsina-Maradi railway has reached 70 per cent completion, according to a statement issued on Sunday by Dele Alake, spokesperson for the council.
Alake said the Kano-Katsina-Maradi project was only five per cent complete when President Bola Tinubu assumed office in 2023, while the Kaduna-Kano line was below 30 per cent completion.
He said the progress reflected the Tinubu administration’s commitment to expanding railway infrastructure, improving regional connectivity and facilitating the movement of passengers and goods.
The Kaduna-Kano line, an extension of the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge railway, is expected to provide a continuous rail connection between Abuja, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, linking major commercial centres in the North.
According to the statement, a Federal Government inspection team led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Funso Adebiyi, recently assessed both projects on the President’s directive.
The team expressed satisfaction with the quality of construction, particularly the railway alignment, drainage systems, embankment protection, stone pitching and soil stabilisation.
The inspection also included a train test run from Jaji in Kaduna State to Kano to assess the completed track infrastructure and passenger comfort.
