the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja Train

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study Railway transport is one of the odd as well as modern modes of transportation that is popular due to its ability to carry passengers and goods in large quantities at fairly short travel time without any obstacles in its path. These days, railway business is growing rapidly in Nigeria as indicated by increased number of railway passengers of approximately 15% annually. (Nigerian Railway Corporation, 2016). The quality of passenger services is one of the railway operator's main concerns (Nathanail, 2008). The onboard services and food are the most remembered feature of people’s travel experience, therefore the food service offered to passengers remains an essential part in overall service experience (Jones, 2007). Catering services on a journey is expected as well as appreciated by travellers, moreover in a long-distance journey where passenger’s needs for provision of ready to eat meals become greater (Briginshaw, 2013). Train catering has its strength in that passengers have the ability to take pleasure in a tasty meal on the move unlike airline service which has to deal with altitude affecting sensory abilities (Jones, 2007). With the quickening pace of modernization, the Railway travelers today expect much more from the system than the railways did in the past in the form of amenities. The provision of passenger amenities is, therefore, one of the important objectives of the Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC) both as a business ethic and as a social obligation to increase transportation needs. The Nigerian Railways Corporation(NLC) has issued a Citizens’ Charter on Passenger services in which, it has been pledged to ensure adequate passenger amenities in trains and at Railway stations. One of the thrust areas in the 8th plan was to provide basic passenger amenities at all stations on a priority basis. The Tourism Industry has a major drawback in the field of Railways as the tourists remain unsatisfied due to the poor quality of catering services. Railway catering has always been an insignia for poor quality. There is a plethora of poor feedbacks against the standard of food and beverages supplied to the passengers and the tourists traveling in the train. It lowers the reputation of the nation as less people would prefer travelling by the Railways. (Jones, 2007). The actual catering services standard is not maintained as the food inspectors’ visit these trains rarely and therefore no action is taken and nobody takes the responsibility to manage it. The quality of the food offered in the trains and on the platform can’t be guaranteed to be hygienic at all times. There has been many complaints. In view of this, this study aimed to evaluate the challenges of catering services on Abuja/Kaduna train. History of Rail Transport The Nigerian Railways came into being on October 3, 1912 by the merger of the Lagos Government Railways and the Baro-Kano railway. It however became an autonomous public corporation created by an Act of parliament, the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act (1955), as amended 1990, with the general objectives of “carriage of passengers and goods in the manner that will offer full value and quality of service, ensure safety of operations and maximum efficiency, meet social responsibility in a manner that will meet the requirements of rail users, trade, commerce and the general public. The Nigerian Railway network runs diagonally from the Southwest (Lagos) to Northeast (Nguru) and from the South-east (Port Harcourt) through Kafanchan to the North-East (Maiduguri). The network consists of 4332 track kilometrescharacterised by sharp curves and steep gradients in many sections. Apart from the Kafanchan-Maiduguri line that was constructed between 1954 and 1964 most of the network tracks were constructed between 1898 and 1927. Not much has been done in terms of construction of new rail lines since 1964 except the 277- kilometre standard gauge rail line project under construction between Itakpe via Ajaokuta to Warri which is now over 80% completed. There is also the 19-kilometre standard rail extension project from Eleme to Onne deep-sea port, which is only 20% completed. The Abuja-Kaduna rail line is one of the first standard gauge railway modernisation projects (SGRMP) undertaken in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. The standard gauge line connects federal capital city Abuja with its commercial capital Kaduna, enabling faster movement of goods and people between the two cities. The construction of the Abuja-Kaduna rail line was started in February 2011 and completed in December 2014 with China’s support. Nigerian President MuhammaduBuhari officially inaugurated the line for commercial services in July 2016. China Civil and Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), which is also constructing the Lagos Rail Mass Transit System in Nigeria, built the line for the Nigerian Federal Government. Abuja-Kaduna is a 186km line with standard gauge railway tracks from Idu, near Abuja, to Kaduna in the north-western region of Nigeria which features both passenger and cargo trains. The passenger trains on the line can be operated at a speed between 200km/h and 250km/h. The travel time between Abuja and Kaduna will be reduced to 112- 2hour and each passenger train can carry up to 5,000 commuters. The cargo trains, carrying 800t of goods, will take one and half hours to travel between the two cities. (Nigeria Railway Corporation, 2015) The standard gauge line connects federal capital city Abuja with stations in Kubwa and Idu in Abuja, and RigasaKaduna train stations, with its commercial capital Kaduna, enabling faster movement of goods and people between the two cities. 1.2 Statement Of The Problem Among the various modes of transport, Railways is one of the biggest modes of passenger transport in the world. Nigerian Railways face more competitive threats from airlines, luxury buses, public transports, and personalized transports. Though there are competitions from various mode of transport, Nigerian Railways has its unique features and provide security, safety, good road and more services to the passengers. With the increase of technological advancements, Nigerian Railways Corporation have started to use the latest technology for making the service delivery process more efficient, in order to satisfy the passengers, the Nigerian Railways Corporations provides various services to its passengers which include convenience, good food, security among others in the train and around the station. The quality of food served while traveling for a long distance is a major issue that is yet to be resolved by the Nigerian government. In some trains, the packed food items are expired and kept in unhygienic conditions , wrong temperature, packaging and unfriendly presentation of food to passengers on the train and are considered sub-standard. While in some trains, the food has been pre-cooked 4-5 days ago and this makes it all the more stale and smelly. This problem is faced all over the nation, especially in the sleeper class section of the train where the environment is very unhygienic. The problem has not been looked into even after several complaints have been made to the Railway Catering Department. 1.3 Research Objectives The objectives of the study were as follows: 1. To identify the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja train, 2. To Proffer Solutions to the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja train. 3. To find out those in charge of catering services 1.4 Significance of the Research The study contributes towards the on-going discussions and initiatives taken by various stakeholders towards providing solutions to the challenges of catering services on train. For theory and body of knowledge, the study findings are important especially on the development of future theories and models concerning challenges of catering services on train and also adds substantial knowledge to the existing information on the research topic. 1.5 Scope of the Study This research study is based on the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja Train. 1.6 Research Questions 1. What are the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja Train 2. What are the solutions to the challenges of catering services on Kaduna/Abuja Train 3. Who are the operators/managers of Abuja/Kaduna train catering services