Amaechi: Buhari to flag off eastern rail project March 9 – Newstrends
Connect with us

Railway

Amaechi: Buhari to flag off eastern rail project March 9

Published

on

President Muhammadu Buhari will perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the eastern rail corridor of the country’s ongoing railway modernisation on March 9, 2021, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.

Ameachi stated this on Saturday during his inspection of all the stations along the new Lagos-Ibadan rail line from Ebuta Metta to Ibadan.

The minister, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Press of the ministry, Mr Eric Ejiekwe, said the President had also approved the redirecting of the eastern line to two new spurs, namely: Abakaliki, Ebonyi State and Awka, Anambra State.

Amaechi said the Federal Government had approved the commencement of the Port Harcourt – Kano rail project and was also negotiating loans for the Lagos – Calabar rail project.

On the commencement of the Ibadan-Kano rail project, the minister said the government was still seeking approval for a loan for the work.

Speaking on the Lagos-Ibadan rail project, Amaechi said that he had urged the contractor, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), to deploy global acceptable safety and security standards for the work.

He directed that central cooling system be installed in all the major train stations along the route.

In a separate development, the minister has instructed the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to punish truckers who flout government’s directives, especially when the rail end of the Apapa Port spur line is completed

He added that President Buhari had issued a directive on the tonnage of cargo that should be allowed on roads and would be strictly complied with.

According to him, the directive has not been implemented as there are no viable alternatives yet.

The statement further said that during the inspection, the minister took the train to the completed southward 8.72km of the Apapa Port Spur Line end of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line.

He expressed displeasure at the high number of trucks parked on the rail track, making work difficult to complete.

The minister, therefore, directed the management of the NPA to ensure that the trucks were moved out, adding that only registered trucks moving goods imported or to be exported would be allowed into the ports.

Railway

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six 

Published

on

NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six 

 

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced an increase in the number of trains on its Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) route in response to rising demand based on its customer feedback.

A statement signed by the NRC Deputy Director of Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, on Wednesday, said the number of trains had been increased to six from four, running Monday to Friday during peak periods.

This development, it added, aimed to enhance customer satisfaction by making commuting more convenient and accessible on the route as well as tackling complaints of ticket racketeering.

The statement quoted the acting Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, as saying that a five-month trend analysis revealed a 22 per cent increase in new passengers registering on the ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna route.

The surge, he said, showed a growing preference among Nigerians for train travel as a comfortable, reliable, and safe commuting option.

The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation, reaffirming its commitment to responding to customer demands, improving customer satisfaction, and tackling complaints of ticket racketeering, has increased the number of train services from four to six from Monday to Friday when demand tends to peak on its AKTS route.”

The NRC also noted that similar trends had been observed on the Lagos-Ibadan, Warri-Itakpe, and Port Harcourt-Aba routes, with efforts already underway to enhance services along these routes as well.

The acting MD assured Nigerians of the increased presence of NRC senior management across all train service routes to drive continuous efficiency and tackle the issue of ticket racketeering head-on.

“Our valued customers are encouraged to use NRC ticket platforms online to take advantage of the increased services and avoid patronising ticket racketeers.

“Additional information can be obtained from the NRC website, www.nrc.gov.ng,” it stated.

The expanded services on the Abuja-Kaduna route, it said, followed similar enhancements on the Lagos-Ibadan route, which now includes additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays to accommodate increasing demand.

Continue Reading

Railway

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

Published

on

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the introduction of additional train trips on its Lagos-Ibadan Train Service (LITS) route, exclusively for Fridays and Saturdays.

This initiative increases weekend trips from two to three, offering commuters greater travel flexibility.

The announcement, made via the NRC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, revealed that the new Lagos-to-Ibadan trip will depart at 1:40 pm, complementing the existing schedules of 7:45 am and 4:00 pm.

For the Ibadan-to-Lagos route, the additional trip is set for 10:50 am, joining the regular departures at 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.

READ ALSO:

“Catch our extra Friday & Saturday train trips on LAGOS – IBADAN TRAIN SERVICE (LITS). 

“LAGOS to IBADAN: 

“•⁠Times: 7:45am, 1:40pm, 4:00pm 

“IBADAN to LAGOS: 

“•⁠Times: 8:00am, 10:50am, 4:30pm,” NRC’s tweet read in part.

This tweet by the Nigerian Railway Corporation further noted that the new schedule complements the existing Sunday-to-Thursday trips, which remain unchanged with departure times at 8:00 am and 4:00 pm from both Lagos and Ibadan.

This move by the NRC to expand the schedule is aimed at accommodating increased demand, particularly during weekends, and providing greater flexibility for commuters traveling between Lagos and Ibadan.

The move is expected to ease travel pressures and improve convenience for passengers on one of Nigeria’s busiest rail routes.

Travelers are encouraged to take advantage of the additional services and book tickets early via the e-ticketing website. to secure their spots, especially as the Lagos-Ibadan rail route continues to grow in popularity.

Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

Continue Reading

Railway

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

Published

on

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

The Federal Government of Nigeria has secured $350 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fund the construction of the Kano-Maradi rail project, which will connect Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero, made this disclosure on Monday during an oversight visit to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) headquarters in Lagos, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Aliero stated that the Kano-Maradi rail project is part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize Nigeria’s railway network and enhance regional trade links.

READ ALSO:

“The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, Sen. Adamu Aliero,  says the African Development Bank has released $350 million to the Federal Government for construction of a rail line from Kano to Maradi,” the NAN report read in part.

He also highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to China focused on finalizing negotiations for 85% of the financing needed to upgrade and rehabilitate the nation’s rail infrastructure.

Aliero disclosed that the supplementary budget recently passed by the National Assembly allocated over N530 billion as counterpart funding for these modernization efforts. The remaining 85% of the funds will be sourced from institutions such as China Exim Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and AfDB.

Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

Continue Reading

Trending