NRC to revive Lagos 2pm MTTS train as Opeifa tours districts 

The Nigerian Railwaiy Corporation (NRC) will soon revive its Lagos 2pm mass transit train service (MTTS) in line with the demands of passengers.

Managing Director of the NRC, Dr Kayode Opeifa, disclosed in Lagos, assuring Nigerians of the readiness of the corporation to serve them better.

He spoke at the Iddo Train Station, while addressing train passengers commuting daily from Ijoko and other border communities in Ogun State to Iddo and Idumota axis of the Lagos Island.

A statement by the Deputy Director of Public Relations at the NRC, Mahmood Yakubu, quoted the MD as saying, “NRC management being aware of the centrality of the MTT Kajola to Iddo rail line to the continued prosperity of the Iddo, Idumota and some other big markets in Lagos will not only continue to sustain the line, but work to add addition service after careful commercial market viability and sustainability studies.”

Opeifa was at Iddo Station to assess the available space in preparation for upcoming developmental and revitalization initiatives.
According to him, the transformation of the Iddo Terminal is central to the corporation’s goal to significantly improve the terminal’s infrastructure, optimize its capacity and elevate the passenger experience
He also said the management would urgently embark on the rehabilitation of the coaches to improve the ambience of the interior of the trains and the Iddo stations for better customer experience and patronage.
Opeifa said he would not hesitate to terminate the contract of any contractor not willing or ready to add value to the corporation’s service.
The managing director, who spent some time going round the Iddo Station, also directed the installation of solar panels around the station to better improve the lightening condition, even as he sent the signal that a comprehensive review of all land leases around the station is underway.
Opeifa was nostalgic about the several interesting monuments and railway relics.

He called on corporate organisations and other philanthropists to support the corporation in the area of provision of conveniences for train passengers as part of their corporate social responsibility.

The Railway District Manager (RDM), Engr Augustine Arisa, and District Superintendent, Mrs Chidinma Mba, also informed the MD that the prosperity of the Idumota market is also related to the operations of the MTT line as any day the train does not run, the market feels it.
The NRC MD had earlier commenced his maiden tour of the NRC districts across the country, with a tour to the Running Shed of the corporation at Ebute Metta, which he learnt was a hub to other districts.
He expressed delight at the industry of ironmen (women engineers and technicians) working in the corporation who are competing with their male counterparts in ensuring that all the nation’s rolling assets are in serviceable conditions.
The tour took him to the store, where Opeifa directed that the management must commence the painting of several legacy buildings of the corporation across the country.

He added that the corporation was determined to improve its image as a frontline mobility service provider and the hub for logistics services in the country.
Opeifa who observed that there are no scraps in the railway, reiterated earlier calls on Nigerians to beware of anyone vandalizing the rail materials across the country, adding that security agencies especially the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been directed to prosecute anyone caught vandalizing any rail assets.
He said the corporation would put back to shape as many narrow gauge locomotives still serviceable and would deploy them across the country to serve passenger traffic anywhere the corporation had existing train lines just as the Federal Government would aggressively continue to invest and expand the national standard gauge corridor.
The tour also took the managing director to the Battery Room, as well as the laboratory, an inspection of all the mechanical fluids which was a crucial facility responsible for analyzing the quality and integrity of mechanical fluids used in NRC rail operations.
He assured the laboratory that the management under his watch would continue to support their growth and development as he himself trained and once worked as an analytical chemist.
The tour also took Opeifa to Agege Station where he had a closed door meeting with officials from the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), led by the Director Rail Services Engr Olasunkanmi Okusaga, on how to firm up security challenges between the two stations Babatunde Raji Fashola Station and the Lagos State Train Station at Agege Station.
Opeifa who was led round by the Agege Station Manager, Mrs Ese Asowata, went round to check the station’s conveniences, the VIP Lounge, the control room, the ticketing lounge and administrative sections among others.
The managing director took time to address the concerns of some train passengers, one of them, Olatunde Apata, who complained of what could be done for any passenger who missed his train. Apata, who was heading to the Prof. Wole Soyinka Station, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, had missed his train because he went to pray.
Addressing all challenges Opeifa directed that under no circumstances should the ticket not work to relief passengers with disability access the train.

He equally said efforts were being made to see how the issue of those missing their train would be addressed even as he disclosed that the NRC and LAMATA were working at how to ensure passengers could co-switch and access the metro train to continue their journey from the stations.

We’ll stamp out railway vandalism, says Opeifa, after recovering stolen 91 sleepers, 25 rails

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) under the leadership of the Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, has expressed its resolve to expose all those behind vandalisation of railway critical assets and stamp out the criminal act.
This was disclosed in a statement after the arrest of two rail vandals in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, found with stolen 91 sleepers and 25 cut rails.
The statement issued by the NRC Deputy Director Public Relations, Mahmood Yakub, said the suspects were arrested by men of the North Central District and the Nigerian Railway Police Command.
It said the arrest followed intelligence reports of the discovery of a private apartment in Kafanchan, Jemaa Local Government Area Kaduna State, where the vandals were using as a hideout and a warehouse for the stolen materials.
In a renewed onslaught against vandalism of the nation’s railway assets, the police reportedly stormed the hideout and fished out the suspects.
“The Railway Police Area Command Kafanchan stormed the premises and recovered some vandalized materials including 25 short rails and 91 sleepers stacked in two different buildings on the same premises,” the statement said.
Opeifa commended the Railway DPO Kafanchan for tracking the suspects and the recovery of the track materials belonging to the NRC.
He appealed to “the people residing along the railway corridor to report any suspicious movement by those attempting to vandalise railway critical infrastructure and assets to any nearest law enforcement agency.”
Meanwhile, the two suspects have been clamped into detention at the Railway Police Station, Kafanchan “as the police intensify efforts to round up other members of the gang said to be at large.
“All recovered materials are under the custody of the Railway District Police Station in Kafanchan as exhibits,” the statement added.

NRC targets moving 100 containers daily from Lagos to Kaduna, Kano by rail

There are plans to commence movement of containers by rail soon from Lagos port to Kaduna by rail with an initial target of 50 to 100 containers daily.
Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa, disclosed this when he received the management team of the ICNL, led by the Managing Director, Mr Omotayo Dada, at the corporation’s headquarters, Ebute Metta, Lagos, on Tuesday.
Only recently, the corporation re-launched the rail cargo train from Apapa port Lagos to Moniya container terminal deport in Ibadan, Oyo State, following a partnership deal with APMT.
The NRC MD had earlier paid a visit to ICNL headquarters in Kaduna, which paved the way for discussion on the resumption of container movement by rail to Kaduna, according to a statement by the corporation.
Opeifa said the corporation was willing to partner with major movers of large containers from across the country.
He said the corporation would continue to design products for companies willing to use the rail to move its cargoes.
He noted that with the ICNL partnership, the corporation hopes to move additional 50 to 100 containers per day from Lagos to Kano via Apapa, Ijoko, Ilorin, Minna and Kaduna.

L-R: Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr Kayode Opeifa; Managing Director, Inland Containers Nigeria Ltd, Mr Omotayo Dada, and the Head of Commercial Services, Mrs Odetunde King Abigail, during the courtesy call on the NRC MD…on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Director of Operations and Commercial of the corporation, Mr Akin Osinowo, said the corporation was in talks with many manufacturers, including the Dangote Group of Companies and BUA, among others.
He added that the NRC still continues to service Lafarge, taking cement consignments from Ewekoro to Osogbo and Ilorin.
He however said any company or terminal operator partnering with it is meant to add value to rail movement by using their size and status to prospect new customers in order to boost the railway’s haulage capacity.
He said the ICNL is a long standing customer of the corporation, adding that some of the factors that led to the stoppage of cargo movement especially on the narrow gauge are being addressed.
He said issues such as insecurity, especially between Minna and Kaduna, and the washouts of several portions of the rail tracks, among others, were being aggressively addressed either by the corporation’s team of engineers or by the Federal Government.
The NRC management and that of ICNL expressed commitment to continue their engagement and draw a road map for quick commencement of container freight to as far as to Kaduna and Kano on the western line.