Nigeria Minister Of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Ameachi had said that by December cargoes landing at Apapa Ports, Lagos would be freighted by the railway. To achieve this, more locomotives and wagons are expected to be brought into the country before December. This would be a great improvement in the cargo business by reducing the number of trailers on the roads that cause unnecessary traffic and gridlocks, mostly on the Ports roads and also within the city.
The government was committed to the Nigerian Railway transformation to ensure that it takes its place as the heart of the transportation initiatives of the government.
The corporation since independence had been the backbone of the nation’s agricultural revolution, adding that even though the train lost some grounds substantially to trailers and other articulated vehicles in the sector, the railway is making sufficient in the road in line with the focus of the government.
“We are working to ensure that the railway is repositioned and given its pride of place and are determined to ensure that before December at least 80 percent of all cargoes at least from the sea is carried by rail. That is why the repair work on the narrow gauge linking to Apapa is ongoing.
We have also insisted that the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line must terminate at Apapa. That is why the government is also determined to commence the Lagos-Calabar coastal rail line, which is a Port to Port idea. When all these fully materializes, we would have a robust system that recognizes that all the modes of transportation especially railway have their fair share of traffic re-distribution.”
Amaechi disclosed that the two locomotives delivered to the Corporation on Thursday were not part of the 20 promised by General Electric (GE), but part of the ones earlier ordered by the government as part of its commitment to the upgrading of the services provided by the corporation. He said 10 more locomotives would be delivered in September.
The minister who had earlier promised that GE would bring in 20 locomotives and 200 coaches by last May 29, to help jumpstart its involvement in the railway system, as a concessionaire of the narrow gauge, added that when GE finally delivers, the corporation would have enough rolling stock to deploy and provide service to its customers, these locomotives could still come in before the year end.
The process of concessions the narrow gauge is ongoing, disclosing that the federal government has appointed transaction advisors to perfect the guiding document for the exercise.
