LAGOS-IBADAN STANDARD GAUGE TRAIN TO START JANUARY 2021-AMAECHI

  • Amaechi speaking during a TVC programme says  Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Line will be commissioned in January 2021
  • Passenger service on Cetral Rail to commence fully in a week
  • Frowns against notion that cost of rail contracts are being inflated; insists that cost of rail construction in Nigeria which is $4.5m per kilometre is cheaper than in Europe and other places
  • Maintains that trains and rail lines are very safe and secured by Police, NSCDC and Airfoce

     

Nigeria's Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, GCFR has disclosed that the Lagos - Ibadan Train would commence operations in January 2021.

Amaechi who was guest on a TVC morning programme on Friday October 2, 2020 also said baring unforeseen setbacks, the line will formally be commissioned  and opened to traffic in January, as the project is more than 90 percent completed, except the additional work of extending the line from Ebute-Metta to Apapa which is expected to be completed by the end of December. 

The transportation minister also assured that the passenger train service will commence on the newly inaugurated Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Warri line shall commence fully in a week. " But remember that we had ran before we stopped...We were getting 60 to 100 passengers daily, while that of Abuja-Kaduna Train is 4000 passengers daily."

Speaking on efforts to de-congest Lagos ports, the Minister maintained that the chief method for de-congestion of ports is the linking them to rail networks."That is why we are extending the rail lines to Apapa, Tin Can and other ports."

The Honourable Minister responded to questions on allegations of purported padding of contract figures; quality of delivered projects; maintenance after deliveries; security and safety of the rail; piracy on Nigeria's territorial waters among other issues.

 

Watch out for serialised reports on this great interview.

 


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