Two locomotives of the 20 locomotives engines expected to arrive Nigeria from the Peoples Republic of China for the commencement of standard gauge rail operations in the country have been delivered.
THE Nigerian government through a representative of its Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday, took delivery of the two double-end-drivers-cabin Standard gauge locomotives engines, which were discharged at the ENL Terminal of the Lagos Ports Complex (LPC).
Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Engr Fidet Okhiria, who represented the minister stated that ten more locomotives are expected to arrive the country by September.
According to the NRC MD, “these two locomotives are specifically designed for passenger train movement. This locomotive which is the first of its kind to be used in the country has an inbuilt power supply, double-ended driver’s cabin and built for 150km per hour rail services. What this means is that on both ends of the locomotive, there is a driver’s cabin. What we used to have is a locomotive with only one driver’s cabin on one side. “
On the 20 locomotives expected into the country, the NRC MD explained that “these two locomotives were ordered in 2014. The 10 locomotives that we ordered in Aril, 2017, the company manufacturing them has asked that we come for factory acceptance test. We hope that by September, these ten coaches will arrive the country. The government just approved another seven locomotives, and we are in the process of raising letters of credit for those ones.
“With these two new additions, we intend to increase our return trips because the new locomotives will be running at a speed of 130km per hour as against the 90km per hour we are currently doing.
“The locomotives will be put to use for the Nigerian standard gauge rail project, although for now, we are only doing the Kaduna-Abuja standard gauge rail.”
