Railway
Excitement as new Lagos-Ibadan train operation begins
Passengers travelling from Ibadan to Lagos had plenty of fun and a smooth ride on the train on Monday as the Nigerian Railway Corporation commenced commercial operation on the new standard gauge rail line.
The train with all the trappings of modernity including air conditioner left Ibadan, the Oyo State capital at 8am, according to a statement by the NRC, captioned, ‘NRC starts Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge passengers train’ and return passengers going from Lagos to Ibadan at 4pm.
Managing Director of the NRC, Mr Fidet Okhiria, had said during the last inspection visit and train tour of the new line by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, that the new train would commence operation on December 7.
He also said 24 new coaches, four locomotives dedicated to passenger train, nine freight locomotives, and shunting locomotives had arrived in Lagos while two of the freight locomotives would be transferred to Warri.
The statement by the corporation on the starting of the new train on Monday signed by the Lagos District Public Relations Officer, Dr Khadijah Aroyewun-Adekomaiya, quoted the NRC Lagos District Manager, Jerry Oche, as saying the train was “run using newly acquired coaches and locomotives.”
He added, “This service is fast, convenient, safe and relatively cheap. There is an option for everyone as the tickets are available in Economy to First-Class rates.”
Oche explained that “the journey time from Lagos to Ibadan is two and a half hours which makes more sense going by recent reports of traffic that has characterised Lagos-Ibadan road due to ongoing road construction along that axis.
“Train service in Lagos is experiencing a new dawn and we are encouraging Nigerians to embrace this new service.”
The corporation also said it observed all the regulations concerning the running of trains during the period of COVID-19 such as wearing of nose masks, hand washing practice, which are measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some details about the new train were also given by a presidential aide, Tolu Ogunlesi, in a tweet, stating that “For now, it’s doing 30-40km/hr in Lagos metropolis.”
He added, “Speed and capacity will increase with time. Keep in mind there’s still some construction work ongoing (station buildings etc).
“Also likely won’t hit maximum speeds until the line fencing is completed. (Sadly because of some Lagosians’ love for rail-line merchandising).”
The statement issued on Monday by the NRC is presented below:
NIGERIAN RAILWAY CORPORATION
PRESS RELEASE
NRC STARTS LAGOS-IBADAN STANDARD GUAGE PASSENGERS TRAIN
The Nigeria Railway Corporation has commenced the operation of passengers trains from Lagos – Abeokuta – Ibadan on Monday December 7th, 2020. This newly introduced service provides fully air-conditioned train services in different categories.
The Lagos Ibadan standard gauge train affords members of the public the opportunity to leave Ibadan for Lagos at 8. 00am in the morning and return at 4.00pm same day.
“The newly introduced standard gauge trains have finally come to fruition as the service is run using newly acquired coaches and locomotives. This service is fast, convenient, safe and relatively cheap. There is an option for everyone as the tickets are available in Economy to First Class rates” Engr Jerry Oche (Railway District Manager).
“The journey time from Lagos to Ibadan is two and a half hours which makes more sense going by recent reports of traffic that has characterised Lagos Ibadan road due to ongoing road construction along that axis. Train services in Lagos is experiencing a new dawn and we are encouraging Nigerians to embrace this new service” Engr Jerry Oche.
All major rules and regulations guiding the trains remain, especially in the area of nose mask usage and hand washing practice, which are measures in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 while on-board the train.
Khadijah Aroyewun-Adekomaiya (PhD)
DPRO (LD) EBJ
Railway
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has disclosed that the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) trains are included in the Federal Government’s free train ride initiative for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The LRMT, which currently includes the Phase 1 Blue Line Rail and the Phase 1 of the Red Line Rail, operates under the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
This announcement was made by Ben Iloanusi, the Acting Managing Director of the NRC, during an interview on NTA News TV on Friday, following the launch of the initiative earlier that day.
While Iloanusi stated that Phase 1 of both the Blue Line and Red Line Rail projects are part of the program, LAMATA has yet to confirm this inclusion.
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Iloanusi outlined the other routes benefiting from the scheme, which include the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service, Kaduna-Abuja Train Service, Warri-Itakpe Train Service, Port Harcourt-Aba Train Service, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit in Lagos. Notably, little was previously known about the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit service until this disclosure.
“Let me mention the routes where this free train service is happening. We have the Lagos-Ibadan Train Service, we have the Kaduna-Abuja Train Service, we have the Warri-Itakpe Train Service, we have the Lagos Rail Mass Transit trains, we have the Port Harcourt-Aba Train Service, and we have what we call the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mass Transit, which is also in Lagos,” he stated.
Iloanusi provided operational updates, stating that passengers nationwide can access free tickets online or, for those unable to do so, at train stations where they will be profiled and validated.
He noted that passengers using NRC-managed services (excluding the Lagos Rail Mass Transit) should reserve tickets via the official website, www.nrc.gov.ng, with a valid ID required. He also advised travelers to plan, arrive on time, and bring valid identification.
Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC
Railway
NRC announces special Xmas, end-of-year train service
NRC announces special Xmas, end-of-year train service
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it will operate an end of the year special train service on all its routes across the country.
It announced this in a statement on Wednesday by its Deputy Director, Public Relations, Yakub Mahmood, saying it was in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive through the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
It however did not indicate if the special train service would be free or not.
The Federal Government last year similarly declared special train services for Christmas and New Year, which were made free for all users.
The statement added the modality for this year’s special service would be released soon.
The latest statement read, “The management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), in compliance with the Federal Government’s directive through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, hereby informs the general public that the NRC shall operate end of the year special train services in commemoration of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“This end-of-the-year special train service on scheduled passenger trains, is part of the government’s gesture towards an enjoyable end of the year celebration.
“Dates and modalities of the end-of-the-year Special Train Service shall be communicated in due course. We wish all our esteemed customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in advance.”
Railway
FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC
FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC
The 62-kilometre, $3.02 billion Port Harcourt-Aba railway project has been completed by Federal Government and handed over to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
The Port Harcourt-Aba section is part of the larger Port Harcourt-Maiduguri eastern narrow gauge railway project, initiated under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The project supervisor, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Ayo Dada, formally transferred the railway to the NRC during a brief ceremony held on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
He said that the project, completed in May, had significantly improved passenger movement between Rivers and Abia, thereby enhancing their economies.
“The assets handed over include dismantled tracks measuring 283.060 km, rehabilitated and reconstructed 62.800 km of subgrade and the laying of 62.800 km of rail for the main line,” Dada said.
“This includes the laying of rail for sliding lines covering 5.690 km and the reconstruction of 27 sets of turnouts at Port Harcourt, Elelenwo, Obuzor, Umugo and Aba Stations, among others.”
Dada said that with the handover of the Port Harcourt–Aba section, the Federal Government would focus on the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri phase of the project.
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“The contractor has submitted the technical specifications and maintenance manual for the Port Harcourt–Aba section to the consultants.
“The ministry is committed to completing this project, which will foster national development,” he said.
The Managing Director of the NRC, Ben Iloanusi, commended the Federal Government and the ministry of transportation for the timely completion and transfer of the project.
Iloanusi, represented by the NRC Deputy Manager (Civil), Adesegun Ogunade, said that the railway had greatly benefited Nigerians seeking affordable transportation options.
“The rail line, now in operation, has started mitigating the impact of high transportation costs caused by economic challenges,” he said.
“Train services have been running for some time and passengers have reported that it has made commuting between Port Harcourt and Aba more convenient, faster and cheaper.
“People are already experiencing the benefits of this government’s policies and programmes.’’
He assured that the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri section would also be completed in due course, emphasising that adequate security arrangements had been made to ensure the safety of workers and passengers.
FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC
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