FG to begin new Kano-Kaduna rail construction in July – Newstrends
Connect with us

Railway

FG to begin new Kano-Kaduna rail construction in July

Published

on

  • New line to link Abuja-Kaduna railway

The Federal Government will commence the construction of Kano-Kaduna rail line in July, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said.

According to him, the new standard gauge rail will be linked with the already running Abuja-Kaduna rail line and eventually connect a new line coming from Lagos-Ibadan being constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

The minister said this when he led a delegation of Nigerian Shippers’ Council and Nigeriam Railway Corporation on a courtesy visit to the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, in Kano.

Amaechi said the rail line and the Inland Dry Port would boost business activities of the state and encourage import and export activities.

He said, “We are here because we want to see how far you have gone with the Dala Inland Dry Port because between now and July, we would start work on the Kano-Kaduna part of the rail.

“We will link the Kano rail to Kaduna and link Ibadan to Abuja, then we would address the problem of cargoes.

“We have to learn how to manage cargoes that come to Kano, like you know, we are also linking Kano-Maradi, so Kano will be the hub for the railway sector with a major station in Kano, it will be able to control the volume of human traffic in Kano.”

He also said, “Kano is important to Nigeria; Kano is also important to the railway sector and we are trying to see how to bring Maritime into Kano. It is important to note that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council North-West Zonal Office is located at Kano because of the economic importance.

“We believe that the government has the capacity to protect those projects and respond to the needs of the users.”

Kano State Governor, Ganduje, said said the dry port and the rail line would boost the economy of the state, adding that the volume of import and export in the state was high because of the population of the state.

Ganduje said, “With the international airport in Kano and the businesses happening with other neighbouring countries, the dry port and the rail line will boost the economy of the state.”

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

Railway

Lagos Blue Rail: LAMATA speaks on fire incident 

Published

on

Lagos Blue Rail: LAMATA speaks on fire incident 

 

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has reacted to a fire incident affecting a section of the Blue Rail Line that occurred in the Apangbon area of the state on Saturday.

A statement issued by the Head of Corporate Communication at LAMATA, Kolawole Ojelabi, attributed the incident to a spark, leading to a disruption in the passengers operations of the line.

The statement read, “The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) is aware of a spark, inducing fire, at a section of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) near the old NEPA station by Eko Bridge around Apongbon area of Lagos Island.

“As a result, passenger operations of the Blue Line were disrupted.

“Following the spark, the system isolated the section for investigators and engineers from the Independent Power Plant powering the train to trace the source of the fire.

“The Closed-Circuit camera along the section promptly alerted emergency staff who triggered the emergency response process.

“No passengers on the train and workers were in danger following the fire incident.

“Engineers are working profusely to replace the burnt cables, and it is projected that train operation will resume Sunday morning.

“LAMATA is committed to ensuring the safe operation of the Blue Line, the first rail system to be powered by electricity in West Africa.”

Continue Reading

Trending