The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Railway

  • ‘Abuja-Kaduna railway transported 6.5m’

    ‘Abuja-Kaduna railway transported 6.5m’

    No fewer than 6.5 million passengers have been transported by the Abuja-Kaduna rail system in the last seven years, The Nation learnt.

    The railway system which was executed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) according to a document by the Chinese Embassy, the span a total length of 186.5 kilometers with a designed maximum speed of 150 km/h.

    The report further added: “This railway project has added a vital transport artery from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to the significant industrial city of Kaduna in the north. It has not only improved the investment climate but also facilitated trade, the movement of people and goods between these two major cities, propelling economic development along the route and within the urban areas. Particularly noteworthy is its role in stimulating commercial development around passenger stations.

    Read Also: Japa: Collect cost of trained doctors, others from recruiting countries – Fayemi

    “The implementation and operation of the Abuja-Kaduna Railway have had a profound impact on Nigeria’s economy. Over seven years of operation, providing a safe, comfortable, efficient, and punctual mode of travel for residents and visitors alike.

    “It has significantly integrated Kaduna into the development sphere of the capital region, driving economic growth along the railway corridor, generating substantial direct and indirect employment opportunities, and laying a solid foundation for the sustained adoption of Chinese standards.

    “CCECC has not only built infrastructure but also transferred expertise, nurturing a considerable pool of railway professionals, thus ensuring Nigeria’s railway modernization and sustainable development have ample talent resources.”

  • No railway coaches stolen, says NRC MD

    No railway coaches stolen, says NRC MD

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has said the first set of coaches, which was alleged to have been stolen from its Maiduguri yard, got to its Jos, Plateau State running shed for general repairs on October 10.

    A statement yesterday by NRC’s Managing Director Fidet Okhiria said the viral video purported to have emanated from an national television station had alleged that the police intercepted some criminals trying to steal a train coach at the Maiduguri Railway Station.

    Okhiria, who spoke with The Nation from China, said the allegedly stolen coach was heading to Jos for repairs ahead of its deployment in the rail corridor to enhance the Mass Transit Train Shuttle (MTTS) which is meant to reduce the impact of the fuel subsidy removal on the masses.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has been drawn to a news trending on numerous social media platforms, purported to have emanated from Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in which it was reported that an attempt was made to steal NRC coaches from Maiduguri.

    “NRC management wishes to clarify this erroneous reportage by stating that the said coaches are officially being moved to NRC running shed in Jos, Plateau State, to be overhauled and put back to operation. NRC is trying to extend Rail Mass Transit all over the country.”

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    The statement also said the railway management in a letter by Okhiria on October 13 to the Commissioner of Police at the Nigerian Railway Police Command, had intimated the force of the corporation’s plan to overhaul its rolling stocks in all the districts with a view to getting them ready for deployment in areas of need.

    “You may wish to note that the recent removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit (PMS) impacted the cost of transportation, among others. The NRC is of the view that making more rail routes available will greatly subsidise the cost of transportation and thereby reducing the hardship experienced by commuters.

    “This informed the need for the overhaul of some of our non-functional rolling stock,” he said.

    The NRC boss urged the police commissioner to “render all possible assistance to ensure a smooth movement and delivery of the rolling stocks from Maiduguri to Jos”.

  • No coaches stolen, says Nigerian Railway Corporation

    No coaches stolen, says Nigerian Railway Corporation

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has described as ‘fake’ the news trending on social media purported to have emanated from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), of attempt to steal NRC coaches.

    The purported news claimed the coaches were being stolen from Maiduguri.

    A statement by the Deputy Director, Public Relations of the Corporation, Yakub Mahmood, said this is erroneous, stating that the said coaches were officially being moved to their running shed in Jos, Plateau State for overhauling.

    Read Also: DAWN Commission proposes joint railway ownership for Southwest

    He said the overhauling was in line with moves being made by the corporation to extend rail mass transit all over the country, adding that the refurbished coaches would, when completed, be put into use on the corridor to provide transit alternatives for the people.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a news trending on numerous social media platforms purported to have emanated from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in which it was reported that an attempt was made to steal NRC coaches from Maiduguri. 

    “NRC management wishes to clarify this as erroneous, as the said coaches are officially being moved to NRC Running Shed Jos, Plateau State, to be overhauled with the view of putting them back to operation. NRC is trying to extend Rail Mass Transit all over the country.”

  • DAWN Commission proposes joint railway ownership for Southwest

    DAWN Commission proposes joint railway ownership for Southwest

    Southwest Nigeria, comprising Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states are to jointly own a railway transportation system that cuts across all state capitals and other cities in the region.

    The initiative, according to the Director General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN Commission), Seye Oyeleye, was to fast-track development in the region.

    Speaking in Ibadan at the Strategic Meeting on Southwest Regional Rail Infrastructure, Oyeleye said the commission had been pushing for the project long ago, adding that DAWN Commission would try it’s best to make the dream become a reality.

    He said the six states would put together roadmap and timeline to ensure actualisation of the project, adding that there must be a proper transportation system across the region to enhance development.

    He said: “We have gathered here to deliberate on how to have rail for Western Nigeria, we have gathered rail expert home and abroad, whatever resolutions we make will be taking to the respective states.”

     all the issues and obstacles will be ironed out here, no individual state can fund rail on its own, states should pull resources together and ensure this project comes to the limelight.

    Read Also: Railway Corporation suspends erring staff in viral video

    “Private sector who will fund the project are there, but they want to see commitments and political will from the governors, we have already drafted routes, the feasibility study which is the bankable documents might be the only thing the states will sponsor.”

    He, however, said the objectives of the gathering was to extract state representatives commitment towards setting up of the rail development, have operating and regulatory body for the region, and to design structure and funding model for the above mentioned body.

    Others are: to design roadmap for construction of railway infrastructure, enunciate proposition on viable routes and highlight path to private sector for development institution finance.

    The Commissioner for Transportation in Osun State, Sesan Oyedele, said the project is achievable if governors from the states are committed to it and take responsibility.

    He said Osun State is ready if others states are read for the project.

    The Special Adviser to Ondo State governor on Transportation, Tobi Ogunleye, said Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is ready for the project, as he championed the creation of Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun).

  • Observations on the Kano-Maradi railway project

    Observations on the Kano-Maradi railway project

    Sir: Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’idu Alkali, has affirmed that the Kano-Daura-Maradi railway project which took-off during the APC-led administration of past president, Muhammadu Buhari is going on smoothly.  This is pleasing.

    The minister reportedly drove along the cleared path for the rail tracks from Dawanau to Kazaure emirate. The project monitoring trip appropriately ended at the University of Transportation, Daura.

    The $1.95 billion project was awarded in 2021. Physical work started late 2022. The minister was happy that earthwork and bush clearance have reached 80 percent completion. The contractor has delivered numerous heavy-duty equipment to a huge project marshalling area in Kazaure, Jigawa State.

    The minister said that because the earth work has reached 80 percent completion, the assurance given by the contractor that the project would be timely completed in 2025 is credible.  This affirms that this legacy project of the APC-led administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is on course.

    The scope of work on the project involves a new railway line of 1435mm (standard) gauge on which passenger and good trains can run on a maximum speed of 150 kilometres per hour. The length of the tracks is 400 kilometres.  The project design, if it remains unmodified,   includes 20 railway stations, five maintenance workshops and yards; a total 52 railway bridges; 75 road overpasses and six road underpasses.

    Read Also: Expectations, tasks before Transportation Minister Alkali

    The immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, told Nigerians that, the  Kano-Maradi railway project has a branch component linking Kano to Dutse Gadawur, the  capital of Jigawa state. One of the observations on the project is that so far, there is no visible physical work on the Dutse branch.

    Another observation is that the minister did not comment on its start-date during his project monitoring visit. Is the Dutse branch is still on the cards? 

    Members of the National Assembly from Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states, all ministers from the three states, the governors of the three states and the national chairman of the APC may need to jointly work to ensure that the Kano-Dutse branch is not dropped from the Kano-Maradi railway project.

    Work on the Dutse segment is not the only aspect of the project that is still on paper. It is observed that   not a single aspect of the 52 bridges and the 81 under and overpasses was seen along the earthwork and cleared track path. 

    It was observed that none of the five maintenance workshops and yards is on ground.  The location for the station in Dambatta,  one of 20 in the project,  is still unknown to the residents who  welcomed the railway to their door step.

    The Kano-Maradi rail project is part of our country’s ambitious Railway Modernisation and Expansion Master Plan, in which  all state capitals and other principal cities in the country would be linked  by railway.

    The plan envisaged linking all sea ports, major international airports and the main economic centres of the country by rail.  The planners believed this can make Nigeria the hub of an intermodal transportation network for the West African sub region. It is because of the desire to achieve that regional-hub status that, the Railways Master Plan includes linking appropriate border towns in Cameroon, Niger and the Republic of Benin by rail.

    The project will make impact on the wellbeing of Nigerians by facilitating domestic trade, encouraging tourism, boosting countless economic activities and strengthening social interactions among the citizens. Indeed, the citizens have registered an   association which is keenly monitoring the progress of the Kano-Maradi railway project.

    • Salisu Na’inna Dambatta, Dambatta, Kano State.
  • Minister lambasts contractor over Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway

    Minister lambasts contractor over Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway

    The Minister of Transportation, Said Ahmed Alkali, has expressed disappointment at the slow pace of work along the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri narrow gauge undergoing reconstruction and rehabilitation.

    The minister doubted the capacity of the contractor to complete the project in record time, describing the company handling the job as unserious.

    Alkali spoke in Port Harcourt on Friday, September 22, when he visited the project site in Port Harcourt and Kom Kom community, Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.

    He lamented that the project, which was designed to be completed in three years, had only attained 45 percent completion between Port Harcourt and Aba after 12 months.

    He said: “I am disappointed with what I see because this contract was signed for 36 months and it is to cover over 2000km.

    Read Also: ‘Anambra railway masterplan design underway’

    “So far, even Port Harcourt to Aba, the project is just around 47 per cent completed. Ideally, it’s supposed to cover 47 per cent of the entire 2,000 kilometres, which by now, should be around Plateau or so and yet we are still struggling to be in Aba before the end of the year.

    “I am not happy, not only that I’m not happy, I am disappointed. When I came when they were laying the rail lines, you can see they are using manual alignment to align the slippers in this century, during this era of technology.”

    He wondered why the contractor exclusively utilised the 15 percent funding provided by the Federal Government while withholding the 85 per cent counterpart funding.

    He said: “I felt if you are not ready for something, don’t even start it, the funding was made on 15 percent to be provided by the federal government, while 85 percent to be provided by CCECC, so far since the project kick-started, the funding is only done with the federal government component of 15 percent.

    “So that shows how unserious CCECC is in terms of the Port Harcourt – Maiduguri reconstruction and rehabilitation project. We have to go back to the ministry because whatever you can do, you have to operate within the ambit of the law. Whatever the law provides I will make sure I enforce it.

    “The contract was signed in the last two years, but the actual construction started last year, even within that time, if you cannot cover Port Harcourt – Aba in 12 months, then how can you cover over 2,000km in 36 months.”

    Alkali said the project when completed would link both ports in Rivers state to Maiduguri to ease the cost of trade in the country.

    He said: “The line is linking the two ports in Port Harcourt to Maiduguri that would promote regional trading, the cost of trading would be very low.

    “By the time we start the passenger train, it will go a long way to cushion the effects of the petroleum subsidy removal.”

  • ‘Anambra railway masterplan design underway’

    ‘Anambra railway masterplan design underway’

    Anambra State Government has begun payment to an international infrastructure development firm for design of railway masterplan for the state. 

    Managing Director, State Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Okey Ezeobi, an architect; said this yesterday in Awka at a news briefing ahead of a six-day Capacity Building Series on Theory and Practice of Public Procurement for Local Government Stakeholders.

    He said the firm, CPCS Transcom Ltd, based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, was chosen among 10 international organisations who applied for the design.

    Ezeobi said investors were waiting for the masterplan implementation in view of the bankability and feasibility study on the railway initiative.

    He said: “We looked at their track record after considering the technical bids, financial bids, their domestic experience, before arriving at the CPCS. 

    “It is also instructive to note that the firm has acclaimed Anambra under Governor Chukwuma Soludo, as a forward-thinking state.

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    “The state has also commenced payment for masterplan design, which will take railway to the boundaries of the state. With the rails, moving containers from the ports will be cheaper and faster.”

    Ezeobi said the capacity building series was to entrench accountability and transparency in public funds’ utilisation, in line with Soludo’s vision to ensure adequate value for money.

    “The new direction and disruptive change of Soludo’s government is one that will restore public trust, as people are now aware of how their resources are spent.

    “Procurement is a process that must reflect accountability and transparency. Local government leadership must be accountable in their handling of public funds,” he added.

    Expressing satisfaction with significant improvement the state had recorded in its procurement processes, the BPP boss said plans were on to co-opt local government workers to BPP on ‘secondment’, to ensure proper training in procurement.

  • ‘Railway will sustain economy’

    The Patron, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Bwari branch, Babakobi Mohammed, said if the rail transportation system is put to effective use, it would be a backbone for any sustainable economy.

    Mohammed said this in Abuja while presenting a paper titled: “Efficient Rail Transport System in Nigeria: A Panacea for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development”, at the NSE Bwari branch’s first Annual General Meeting and Conference.

    He said a functional and effective rail transportation system, within the context of sustainable economic prosperity of Nigeria, would stimulate trade by linking production centres to regional and international markets, as well as provide transport backbone for the real sector of the economy such as mining and agriculture.

    He said by investing in railways development, the nation would be able to respond to the expected growth in transport demand for both passengers and freight.

    On his part, the President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, an engineer, said the rail system was a critical infrastructure that was key to the advancement of any economy, hence most developed nations evidently built their economies by focusing on development of sustainable infrastructure like rail transport which was the strong base of solid and industrial activities in developed nations.

     

  • Buhari restates commitment to boosting investments through railway, power

    President Muhammadu Buhari has restated his administration’s commitment to boost business and investment opportunities by reviving train and railway services, building roads and improve on the Power sector.

    The President spoke yesterday at the 59th annual general meeting (AGM)/Conference of National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in Kaduna, with the theme: Regional Integration in Africa: Potentials for Growth and Expansion of Nigerian Businesses.

    President Buhari, who was represented by Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru, said his administration was re-strategising more effective ways to tackle security challenges in the country.

    The President assured the nation that the Federal Government would do everything possible to ease doing business in Nigeria and further make the country the investment destination for investors from all over the world.

    He added: “When this administration came on board in 2015, there were challenges of railway maintenance, power and other issues. Between 24 and 26 states could not pay their workers’ salary. That was the picture as at May 29, 2015.

    “But through God’s intervention, we continued work on over 300 roads that we met, while we awarded other 100 plus roads. Some are completed; some are ongoing. This is to ease transportation and movement of goods and services. Railway work is ongoing to move cargoes from one place to another; power is also improving.

    “We are improving the ease of doing business to attract investment, in which Kaduna State ranks number one, and Jigawa ranks number two. As a government, we don’t want a repeat of what happened in Angola and Venezuela. So, we are doing everything possible to diversify our economy.”

    The outgoing NACCIMA President Iyalode Alaba Lawson said the AGM/conference provided the leadership, members and other stakeholders of NACCIMA the opportunity to discuss in-depth issues about the chambers.

    She said: “The AGM/conference is an opportunity for us to share experiences as we work together to move the nation’s economy forward.

    “NACCIMA understands the importance of synergy between our associations and stakeholders in the local and international business environment; hence the conference is an avenue to foster better collaborations and viable networking opportunities for our entities.”

     

  • Railway begins petroleum products movement

    The movement of petroleum products by rail would begin this week, the Lagos District Manager of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Engr. Jerry Oche has said.

    The NRC would flag off the new deal by moving diesel between Apapa to Dagbolu, in Osun State.

    This is coming seven years after its partnership with Oando hit the rock following what Oche called operational differences.

    For the past six years, the NRC, he said, had been meeting with Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), and other strategic stakeholders to resume the movement of petroleum products by rail.

    Oche who spoke with reporters, said he hoped with the resumption freighting petroleum products by rail, many firms that have indicated interest in taking advantage of the facilities would come on board.

    He said: “I just concluded a discussion with a client this morning; we are supposed to commence movement of petroleum products specifically diesel for him by next week to Dagbolu in Osun State.

    “We are trying to commence movement of petroleum products. We have stopped commercial services for some time. The one we are doing is for ourselves. We buy diesel which we take to our various depots. But this new deal is just coming up and we are excited about it.”

    According to him, the NRC has 40 tank wagons each with capacity to take over 100,000 litres of petroleum products.

    He said with a combined capacity of 1.2 million litres of products on the average, the NRC facilities could take about 60 petroleum tankers off the road.