Railway
CCECC to complete Lagos-Ibadan rail signals, communication system March 2022
Three months after the inauguration of the standard gauge Lagos-Ibadan rail by President Muhammadu Buhari, the signal and communication system has not been operational.
The Project Liaison Officer of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Mr Yakubu Adogie, who stated this, however, promised that the company was already working to complete the system before the first quarter of 2022.
He spoke in Lagos when members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Transportation visited the Ebute Meta headquarters of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and inspected the new rail line including the Bola Tinubu Railway Station, Apapa.
Concerns have been raised about system along new railway corridor over delay in the completion of the signalling system.
The signalling system helps to maintain a safe distance between trains on the same track, safeguard train movement at junctions and regulate their passage according to the service density and speed required.
A statement by the NRC on Monday reported the CCECC liaison officer as saying that the company was also working on the plumbing, power supply and telecommunications of other stations within the new Lagos-Ibadan railway corridor.
Adogie lamented that despite intervention of the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, in July and payment of compensation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) log room building had not been demolished to give way for the construction of the other two lines to connect Apapa port.
The Projects Manager of TEAM Construction Company Nig. Ltd, Leonardo Portanova, spoke on the overhead bridges and crossings in the Lagos end of the rail line.
According to him, the Lagos State Government is constructing seven overhead bridges while TEAM would build six overhead crossings.
The Chairman, Joint Senate/House Committee on Transportation, Abdulfatai Buhari, said the legislators would support the NRC with necessary legislative framework to ensure effective rail transport and boost inter-regional business in the country.
He promised the committee’s commitment for excellent delivery on the NRC’s mandate in line with international best practices.
“You are all aware that the joint committee is carrying out its statutory constitutional responsibilities to ascertain the level of work done.
He said, “We are here to oversee how funds appropriated in the past fiscal years were expended and how much needed for the smooth running of the corporation against the next budgetary allocation.
“We had the benefit of listening to your presentation and recommendations at the last budget defence as regards the performance on 2020 budget and 2021 budget appropriations.”
Buhari said that the committee’s visit was not to witch-hunt the corporation but to collaborate and ensure the rail revitalisation agenda as well as infrastructural development programme of the current administration.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Transportation, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, asked the contractors to open a good channel of communication with them to enable that the committee defend them on their requirements to make the land transport viable for business.
He also urged the NRC management to always make their reports available quarterly to improve the synergy with the National Assembly.
He said the committee also sought the need for housing scheme for workers to improve staff welfare and enhance efficiency.
Earlier in his presentation, the NRC Managing Director, Mr Fidet Okhiria, gave current personnel strength of the corporation as 10,672 with current personnel cost of N9.137 billion for 2021.
He also said that a total of 1,000 additional workers would be required for the operation of the new Lagos-Ibadan rail line, with additional wage bill of N567, 451,300 per annum.
He pleaded with the committee to support the NRC to achieve its goal of expanding the operations nationwide for effective transportation of people and freight.
Okhiria added, “On corporation’s revenue generation since 2020, NRC has remitted N1. 126bn to Federal Government approved dedication TSA Account domiciled with the CBN.”
Railway
NRC increases trips on Abuja-Kaduna route from four to six
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.
Railway
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
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.
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“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
Railway
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
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.
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“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
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