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Tag: Fidet Okhiria

  • ‘Lagos Ibadan standard gauge ready in Feb’

    A test run of the 45km Lagos Abeokuta standard gauge from in Iju, Lagos and terminate in Abeokuta will begin by February, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Mr Fidet Okhiria said on Wednesday.

    Speaking at Ijoko, Ogun State during the routine inspection of the $1.7 billion project, Okhiria who represented the Minister of Transportation Mr Rotimi Amaechi, said by February 6, the corporation will begin a test run of the tracks.

    He said the first phase of the project, which is to link Lagos with Abeokuta by rail, is on course, adding the federal government will first deliver on it while work progresses on linking Abeokuta with Ibadan, thereby completing the Lot II of the Lagos to Kano standard gauge project.

    He said the contractor – China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation- has fully laid 38 kilometers of tracks from Kajola (km 41 to Abeokuta, km 79) while efforts to get the project from Kajola to Iju, is on course and would be achieved by February.

    According to him: “The contractors have said their equipment could lay 1.5 kilometres of tracks per day. That means that they could achieve the 10km distance between Kajola and Iju within seven days and we can start the test run of the tracks latest February 7.”

    He expressed satisfaction at the speed of the contractor, adding with the civil works between Kajola and Iju completed, work could go on unhindered on the laying of tracks.

    Okhiria, who led the media and other members of the project monitoring committee to ride on first class train coaches on the tracks between Kajola and Abeokuta, expressed satisfaction on the pace of the project.

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    He said two first class full air-conditioned coaches have been drawn from the Itakpe-Warri standard gauge corridor to service the new rail line.

    According to him, with a speed of 150 km/h, Lagos-Ibadan could be achieved within one hour, adding that such would have a tremendous impact on housing stock and congestion witnessed in the nation’s urban centres.

    Okhiria said the federal government has placed order for 30 locomotives and coaches and wagons to further boost modernisation of the fixed and rolling stocks of the railway corporation.

    He also praised the transparency of the compensation plans of the government which according to him has ensured the peaceful environment within which the contractor has been operating.

  • NRC to test run Lagos-Abeokuta rail line early February

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it will test run the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line early February.

    Mr Fidet Okhiria, the NRC Managing Director, who disclosed this on Wednesday at Ijoko in Ogun, while inspecting the project, added that work on the tracks is moving towards Lagos with 1.5 kilometers being laid daily.

    “They have done a lot in laying of tracks between Abeokuta, Itori, Papalanto, Kajola, Ijoko towards Lagos corridor.

    “Within seven days the track laying will reach Iju towards Agege corridor of Lagos state.

    “From here to Iju is 10 kilometers, and we are laying 1.5 kilometers on daily basis and by the first week of February we will do a test run to Abeokuta from Lagos.

    “All the formations have been put in place to expedite the tracks laying,” he said.

    The managing director said work had been completed between Kajola and Abeokuta.

    Mr Jerry Oche, the NRC Lagos District Manager said that when completed, the trains would be travelling at 150 kilometers per hour.

    “With the new standard gauge, you can reside in Ibadan and be working in Lagos which is a very good development to people and for our economy,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, had said in 2018 that the completion of Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge would also ease off the Apapa gridlock.

    Amaechi said: “As you can see, the narrow gauge is existing but it’s not efficient, but the moment we fix this project, then those goods will be transferred to the rail and the lock jam will disappear on the road.

    NAN

  • NRC set to commence e-Ticketing on narrow, standard gauge routes

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, will by September commence e-ticketing for passengers wishing to enjoy its services across the country, the Managing Director of the Corporation Fidet Okhiria has said.

    Disclosing this during a chat reporters in his office, Okhiria said the project which would take off  on its Abuja-Kaduna route, would later be introduced on its two major narrow gauge routes of Lagos-Kano which is the western line, and the Eastern line between Port-Harcourt to Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.

    To make this come to fruition, the Managing Director of the Corporation Engr. Fidet Okhiria said nine companies have been shortlisted and are currently bidding to provide the service.

    He noted that with this development prospective customers can book on line, for tickets to enjoy train services, adding that the tender was signed yesterday before all the bidders at Headquarters of the Corporation at Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

    Some of the companies that bid according to Okhiria are: Turn Around Engineering Limited, Secure ID Limited, Catamaran Nig Ltd, Soft Alliance and Resources Ltd, Nexant/Innovea Hub, and Backbone Connectivity Network Nig Ltd.

    Others are; Focal point Integrated Services Limited, Euphoria Press Limited and First Index Project and Services Limited.

    He said the corporation is determined to ensure that any firm contracted to provide the service had the capacity to deliver cutting edge services that are peculiar to the railway environment.

    Read Also: NRC to pull down more houses for modern train stations

    “Unlike what you have in the air transport business where ticketing is usually from one point to the other, in railway, you may have five to 10 stations in between two major destinations and those dropping off at those stations must be adjudged to have paid a fare that is commensurate to the journey made.”

    Speaking on the long abandoned Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Warri Standard Gauge railway line, Okhiria said a test run will commence next week preparatory to full commencement of full train service along the corridor.

    The Nation had recalled that the Minister of Transportation Mr Rotimi Amaechi had disclosed that that the corridor would be opened last month, a development which wasn’t realised.

    He said though work is still ongoing on some of the railway stations along the corridor, this, according to him, would not prevent the commencement of commercial operation on the line as it has been in the limbo for far too long.

    He disclosed that the test run would determine the reliability and integrity of the line.

  • Buhari didn’t know rail line would pass through Daura – Amaechi

    Buhari didn’t know rail line would pass through Daura – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said on Monday President Muhammadu Buhari was not aware that rail line was going to pass through his home town in Daura, Katsina State.

    The minister said President Buhari approved rail lines from Kano to Daura and Jibia local government areas of Katsina.

    He, however, clarified that Buhari was initially unaware of the linkage.

    He added that the President has directed that Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto be linked by rail.

    He said: “The President summoned myself and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, that we should go ahead with infrastructural development and he specifically told me that I must connect the 36 states capital by rail. It is a huge assignment. Huge in the sense that it is very expensive to connect.

    “By the directive of the President, We are currently designing a railway that would connect Gusau, Sokoto and Kebbi.

    “Transporting people from Benin Republic to Apapa seaport is not easy and to connect them from Benin Republic to Madakali; a border town in Kebbi, you need to pass through Daura and Jibia local government area.

    “The President did not know that there is going to be rail that would pass through Daura. When I saw it on social media that the President has approved a rail project to his village and that Jonathan never did, I was surprised because that was not true.

    “In fact, the railway to Yenagoa would have gone to Port Harcourt without passing through Otuoke but President Jonathan took it first to Otuoke, linked it to Yenagoa before connecting it to Port Harcourt.

    “I must also ask, what is wrong with that because Otuoke or Daura is also part of Nigeria, I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

    The Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria, said the designs were done before Buhari became President.

    He said: “Those designs were in place before the President took over. The President is only trying to implement it and make it work. So, it is a feasibility study that has been in place.”

     

  • Damaged Jebba-Mokwa rail bridge will be ready within two weeks – NRC

    Damaged Jebba-Mokwa rail bridge will be ready within two weeks – NRC

    Mr Fidet Okhiria, the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC),says the  corporation has set to complete the repair of the damaged rail bridge at Tatalabu Village along the  Jebba-Mokwa rail line within the next two weeks.

    Okhiria told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that the bridge, damaged by downpour between Jebba and Mokwa, had been affecting the movement of train services from Lagos to Kano since June 6.

    “We are trying our best to restore the situation because we will be losing no less than N50 million within the two weeks the repair works will last,” he said.

    The NRC boss said that the corporation had put in place necessary machinery aimed at correcting the faults which he estimated would cost about N5 million.

    According to him, this will restore the normal train services along the route.

    Okhiria said that wet-season-patrol team had been put together to work on the track and identify other faulty areas.

    He said that technicians from the corporation had also been deployed in the affected area to prevent further expansion.

    The managing director said that the corporation had also started comprehensive repair on the bridge to restore normal rail services along the Lagos to Kano route.

    NAN reports that the Lagos to Kano railway service was disrupted following the destruction of a bridge at Tatalabu Village between Jebba and Mokwa in Kwara following a heavy rainfall.

  • Lagos-Ibadan Rail: Residents plead for compensation as demolition begins

    Residents of Agbado Railway Station Community in Ogun State have appealed to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to compensate members of the community whose houses are affected by the ongoing demolition.

    The demolition of houses along the rail route is to pave way for the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge rail.

    Chief Sunday Olaitan, the Aro of Agbado Land, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, appealed to the government to compensate those whose houses were affected by the demolition.

    “We appeal to NRC to compensate our people because we were not carried along by the corporation.

    “We only saw them marking the houses last week; we expected them to communicate with us officially before this time.

    “We just saw them demolishing houses; if not that Kabiyesi (the monarch) came out, they would have even demolished his palace fence.

    “We want government to help us sand fill the only alternative we have because it is water logged; at least, so that the market woman can have a place to sell their gwares,’’ he said.

    Mr Micheal Olusunmade, the Chairman, Olorunsogo Community Development Association, Itoki area, also appealed to government to give adequate compensation to the affected members of the community.

    Olasunmade said majority of residents and Landlords were retirees, who built the houses with pension and gratuity.

    “We appeal to government to help us with other alternatives or compensation.

    Some of the landlords here are hypertensive; so to prevent cases of stroke and sudden deaths, government should come to our aid with alternatives,’’ he pleaded.

    Mr Deolu Alake, a resident of Itoki, said that the news of the demolitions were a great shock to him.

    Alake appealed to government to compensate the landlords whose houses were demolished in the process of constructing the new standard gauge rail.

    “Some of us do not have alternatives because the cost of building materials now is so expensive that nobody can confidently boast of building another house somewhere else,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NRC had announced that construction of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail would begin on Friday, April 14.

    The Managing Director (MD), NRC, Mr Fidet Okhiria, had advised those who encroached on the NRC land to start packing their belongings, to save them from being destroyed by caterpillars.

    Okhiria said that those who were due for compensation would be compensated, as the process was part of the contract.

    “Those who encroached on the land have to vacate their premises as soon as possible because the construction work was scheduled to begin on April 14.

    “We intentionally did not give permits to so many people because we knew that one day, the land will be required.

    “So, we have already mapped out those places we need to remove and they are aware; we have told them to remove their valuables before the caterpillars start  work,’’ he said.

    The MD said that the project, when completed, would attract more social and economic development to the communities and major towns along the axis.

     

  • Work on Lagos-Ibadan rail begins April 14 – NRC

    Work on Lagos-Ibadan rail begins April 14 – NRC

    The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) says that the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail would begin on April 14.

    The Managing Director of  NRC, Mr Fidet Okhiria, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos.

    Okhiria advised those who had encroached on the NRC land to start packing their belongings, to avoid their property being destroyed by bulldozers.

    “Those that are due for compensation will be compensated because it is part of the contract.

    “But those who encroached on the land have to leave the premises as soon as possible because the constructions will begin on Friday.

    “We intentionally did not give permits to so many people because we know that one day, the land will be required.

    “So we have already mapped out those places we need to remove and they are aware. We have told them to remove their valuables before the bulldozers start work,’’ he said.

    The MD said the projects would bring lots of socio-economic development to communities and major town along the axis.

    According to him, the NRC will deliver consistent services that will attract lots of commercial and social activities that will serve as employment to the teeming youths of the various communities.

    The standard gauge is going to have two stations along the axis; we will have stations in Omin Adio and Moniya in Ibadan.

    “The project will bring a lot of developments to the communities and improve the standard of living of people in the area,’’ Okhiria said.

    The NRC boss also appealed to indigenes of the various communities to cooperate with the construction workers in the course of their duties.

    He advised the people to give adequate support to workers, whenever the work gets to their villages.

    Okhiria advised the people to have positive minds towards the projects, adding that government was determined to improve rail services in the country to international standard.

    NAN