The Lagos-Ibadan speed train, which may take off in February, next year, will open windows of opportunities for the people, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE.
LAST Tuesday, Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi was at the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) workyard at Adumbu, Papalanto, Ogun State. His mission: routine inspection of the work on the Lagos-Ibadan speed train.
After the inspection, he took a decision that would change the narrative of Nigeria’s transportation history. Amaechi directed the Project Co-ordinator, Leo Yin, to provide rail cars on December 18, so he could take a ride on the track from Lagos to Abeokuta with his team.
At the pre-inspection meeting earlier, Amaechi and his team had decided to tour the project, using cars. But, seeing the kilometres of tracks laid, he opted for rail cars.
The ride will undoubtedly signal the beginning of test running the track before it is certified okay for commercial operation by February 2019.
The $1.53 billion, 156 kilometre-long Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge, was initially awarded to CCECC in 2012. The project, now known as LOT II of the Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Project, which was a modernisation of what is celebrated as the Western Line (Nigerian Railway Corporation’s most lucrative train route), was not flagged off until March 7, 2017, with a 36-month cycle.
On May 15, 2018, Amaechi signed a $6.68 billion contract with the CCECC to complete the remaining segments of the Lagos–Kano Standard Gauge Railway. Construction is expected to take two to three years based on the availability of funds. Sections to be addressed in what is to be known as LOT III are: Ibadan-Ilorin (200 km); Ilorin-Minna (270 km); Minna–Abuja and Kaduna-Kano (305 km).
The railway modernisation is in continuation of the Federal Government’s programme, an extension of the master plan that started 16 years ago with the repair and rehabilitation of the old narrow gauge tracks constructed on the same corridor a little over a century ago, and the repair of the rolling stock-wagons and coaches to improve its operations.
What the Buhari administration, which came in 2015, has added to the mix is the speed of the concession of the narrow gauge to America’s General Electric, within its first year in office (a deal it has ditched), and the more determined pursuit of the modernisation of the railway’s fixed asset, beginning from Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge.
Under the arrangement, while the old arrangement was to link the Apapa Port by rail, the government expanded the sidings to all the five terminal operators in the ports are linked up right by the quay by rail for easy movement of all cargoes in and out of the port by rail.
That a speed train now runs through Lagos to Abeokuta, Ogun State, two of Southwest’s most critical states, which is 85 kilometres of the entire 156 kilometres rail tracks, which terminates at Omi Adio, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, is a testimony to Amaechi’s doggedness.
Since he took charge of the project June last year, Amaechi had given CCECC 18 months to finish the project. This initially destabilised the contractor, who had thought it would be business as usual on a contract originally slated to end in 36 months.
To underscore the seriousness of the administration, Amaechi moved the theatre of operation to Lagos, visiting monthly and leading the monitoring team, which comprised officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), CCECC, Team Consultants, (technical advisors to the Federal Government), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), the Armed Forces as well as state governments.
The team inspects the site once a month, and may increase the frequency to twice monthly, beginning from this month.
At its last inspection, all but two of the 20 bridges, three tunnels have been completed. Largely left out are the railway stations.
Briefing reporters on this, Amaechi said he had directed the contractor to concentrate on earth and civil works, and track laying to beat the time. He said in the interim, passengers wishing to make use of the train service can board the train to their various destinations, using railway platforms that would be constructed at each of the proposed stations.
He said: “Our concern is first to ensure that we deliver a project that makes transportation sense before December 18. This means we want to ensure that by February, Nigerians can move from Lagos to Abeokuta, and back to Lagos on the standard gauge. We are striving to ensure that Ibadan too is delivered by February, but if not, we are all working to ensure that Lagos to Abeokuta is a reality.”
The express track gauge is designed to have 10 ultra modern train stations all of which have park and ride facilities. While four of these are in Lagos; (Apapa, Ebute-Metta, Agege, Agbado), three are in Ogun (Kajola, Papalanto, Abeokuta), and three in Oyo (Olodo, Omi Adio and Ibadan).
Hindrances
The project lost much ground first to the natural elements and the inability to secure its right of way early enough. Almost the whole of last year was used to settle issue of right of way as the Federal Government battled with payments of compensations directly to affected families and provided the essential logistics – security for the contractor’s personnel, who have to access the thick rain forests and slippery terrains of Ogun State to take off with the project.
By September last year, the CCECC had established its presence at Adumbu, Papalanto, from where work coordinated inward Lagos and outward to Ibadan in Oyo State.
Attempts by the contractor to begin work early this year were foiled by the inclement weather, which made accessing the project site difficult. Much work was, however, done during intermittent breaks. The result was that, as at August this year, the project, according to an engineer, who craved anonymity, was only 30 per cent completed, a development, which forced the government to direct that the contractor to employ more labour and work three shifts to meet monthly workflow schedules.
At the Ibadan end, the sub-contractor, China Rail Construction Company (CRCC), is at sea with hostile communities on the project’s right of way. Their hostility, The Nation gathered, slowed down work on that corridor, especially between sections three and four.
Besides Ibadan, Lagos until lately also proved problematic. Due to its built up environment, establishing the right of way, according to a top NRC source, was problematic. Obstructions among which are: water main, gas and petroleum products pipelines, bridges (at Costain and Yaba) and hundreds of houses from Iju to Apapa, were major issues. Also problematic were the relocation of affected institutions such as the Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps at Alagomeji, Yaba, NRC Lagos District headquarters and staff quarters and a number of public institutions such as churches, mosques firms and industrial concerns, forcing the committee to recommend that Lagos be last fixed.
Reviewing the work plan last month, Yin said the firm would meet the February deadline. Yin, who commended the pragmatic approach of the Minister of Transportation, said but for his persistence the project would still be at the drawing board.
Lamenting that the contractor did not seem to have the requisite time needed for a project of such magnitude, Yin said he was certain that the CCECC would deliver world-class speed train system to Nigerians, adding that the CCECC had to employ more hands, especially artisans, buy more equipment, such as track laying equipment and work round the clock to ensure that monthly timelines were met.
He listed other challenges being faced by the CCECC to include theft of materials, especially in Lagos and Ibadan, molestation of their personnel and general insecurity, especially at night.
“At Ibadan and Lagos, our materials especially iron rods and ballast are being stolen, and in some instances street urchins, especially in Lagos, molested our workers, preventing them from working until they are settled,” Yin said.
Addressing Yin’s concerns, Amaechi directed that the security architecture around the project be reviewed, promising more proactive security cover for the contractor. He also urged the youths to cooperate with the Federal Government and support rather than disturb the contractor in the discharge of its assignment.
Prospect
Though the stations might take longer, there is no doubt that a new narrative of Nigeria’s transportation architecture with the rail as its main artery would begin by February.
Not only would this signal the beginning and emergence of new cities along the railway corridor, it also promises to have a massive effect on transportation patterns especially in Lagos, where the 90 percent of all containerised movements would be made by rail as well as 80 percent of all liquid products. The effect would be more sanity on the road which is facing gradual lock down as a result of the massive gridlocks being faced in the city state.
But more importantly is the opportunity for new opportunities in housing stocks as more and more workers, tradrs and artisans may opt to live in contiguous states while still working in Lagos.
With a speed train calibrated at 150 kilometres per hour, it means, Ibadan to Lagos can be achieved within an hour, while from Abeokuta could be achieved within 30 minutes. Nigerians are already upbeat about this huge possibility.
