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By Fidelis Ugbomeh
Infrastructural developments, partnerships and challenges held sway in the railway sector last year as many expressed hope that there will be proper utilisation of the existing narrow gauge and extension of standard gauge to major city centres
The Minister of Transportation Senator Ahmed Sa’idu Alkali took the initiative and announced the first ever nationwide free train ride which snowballed from December 23, 2023 into January 3, 2024.
He also gave a marching order to management of Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC to repair all the vandalized section of the Lagos to Kano narrow gauge railway line with a view to start passenger and freight train service along the corridor.
By the month of March the minister was in Lagos to flag off the first freight train on the standard gauge from Lagos to Ibadan.
In April no fewer than 254 companies showed interest in bidding for 2024 Capital projects in the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the process was deemed transparent by representatives of the bidding companies
Management of the corporation in the month of May dispatched Lagos to Kano freight train in in what was described as a feat after several months of suspension but the movement was restricted to day time.
The train departed A P.Moller terminal and arrived Kano safely in one week and in return 18 containers of export goods arrived Lagos in the month of June.
The Lagos district manager in an interview assured importers and exporters of the corporation’s readiness to provide freight service from Lagos to Kano depending on request.
Former managing director of Nigerian Railway Corporation Engr Fidet Okhiria had attributed restriction of travel time of the freight train from Lagos to Kano to the country’s security condition especially in northern parts of the country
He noted that the decision to suspend night travel for both freight and passenger trains was taken in the best interest of safety of passengers and goods during transit.
Evacuation of import and export goods in and out of the Lagos port through railway was limited during the period under review.
Okhiria alleged that special rates charged by terminal operators was responsible for low level of patronage adding that despite obvious advantages of the use of rail mode over the road to evacuate goods on narrow gauge, importers have been skewed to use of road transport.
Okhiria said the use of rail will reduce port congestion and traffic on our roads even as goods can be delivered properly and cheaper to their various destinations.
Chairman, House Committee on Land Transportation Hon. Blessing Onyeche Onuh led other members on a visit to the corporation’s headquarters Lagos
During the visit members of the committee toured Loco Running Shed, Alex Ekwueme Control Towers at Ebute-Matta Junction, Kajola Wagons Assembly plant and Obafemi Awolowo train station at Moniya, Ibadan.
She commended China Civil Engineering Construction Corporateion, CCECC and management of NRC for the ongoing modernization of the corporation but decried the near non-activity at the Wagon Assembly plant.
