Lagos-Ibadan rail: FG, three states set to replace level crossings with over/underpasses – Newstrends
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Lagos-Ibadan rail: FG, three states set to replace level crossings with over/underpasses

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The Federal Government says it has reached an agreement with three state governments to jointly build standard railroad underpasses and underpasses at level crossings points along the new Lagos-Ibadan railway to avoid any collision with road users during train movement.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, gave the indication at Moniya Railway Station of the standard gauge railway, while speaking with journalists, adding that the new line would commence full commercial operation soon.

He also said all communities displaced or adversely affected in some other way by the $1.5bn railway project would be fixed and their normal life restored before leaving the project site.

The minister said the construction of befitting railroad underpasses/overpasses along the new line had become imperative in view of the rise in the rate of avoidable accidents being recorded at the level crossing points with the return of more train services to the route.

Amaechi, who was on a train inspection tour of the project from Lagos to Ibadan, said meetings had been held with governments of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states and agreements reached on how to speed up the underpass/overpass construction.

“If we don’t provide these facilities, human being will continue to use the track,” Amaechi said.

According to him, everyone has been assigned their section of work to be done.

“The Federal Government will have to lead the way in the execution of our portion of work,” he said.

Although the minister did not give details about the timeline and cost of the facilities, the Nigerian Railway Corporation has said the facility would be construction in a way that there would be no contact between the fast train and road users including motorists and pedestrians.

Managing Director of the corporation specifically Fidet Okhiria, said, “The policy is that there should be no physical level crossing; it should be either overpasses or underpasses.”

Meanwhile, the minister also assured all communities adversely affected by the railway development project that the government would not abandon them to their fate.

He said every community that had been cut off from their neighbours or land area improperly tampered with would be restored, adding that a team had been mandated to compile a list of those communities with a view to ensuring that no one would excluded or be left unattended to.

Amaechi said, “We have in the course of constructing this rail line elevated the track. There are communities along this line whose life has been disrupted. For some of them, erosion has set in; they can’t cross to the other communities.

“We are being unfair to them because they gave us all the cooperation we needed. It is not good to visit them with what was not there before. It is for the engineers to take a study village by village of what impact our rail line has caused to the communities.”

Railway

Niger State duscusses intracity railway to link Abuja with Chinese firm

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Niger State duscusses intracity railway to link Abuja with Chinese firm

Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has held a meeting with a delegation from the China Railway Corporation in Minna, the state capital.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Digital Communications, Abdullberqy Ebbo, disclosed this in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday.

According to Ebbo, during the meeting, they discussed working out a partnership to establish a railway network that would span the state’s three geopolitical zones as well as Abuja.

The statement read, “Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, hosted a delegation from the China Railway Corporation in Minna, Niger State.

“The corporation, renowned for constructing China’s extensive railway network, discussed working out a partnership to establish a railway network across three geopolitical zones in the state and Abuja.

“The meeting also delved into potential collaborations in various sectors, including agriculture, housing, and the construction of airline hangars and the Cango terminal at Bola Tinubu International Airport Minna.

“With plans to solidify the partnership, the delegation is set to draft a Concept Note and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a business relationship with the state.

“The ambitious project is anticipated to be funded through the China Exim Bank, marking a significant step towards improving transportation infrastructure and economic growth in Niger State.”

PUNCH reported in October 2023 that the Chinese government expressed its commitment to refinance and complete the Abuja-Kano and Port- Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri railway projects.

In February 2024, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also had a meeting with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation in Beijing, China, to finalise plans on the state’s rail projects.

-The PUNCH

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Vandals destroy rail track in Kaduna community

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Vandals destroy rail track in Kaduna community

Vandals have destroyed a rail track at Chidunu village in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The hoodlums taking advantage of high rate of insecurity in the area stormed the village and reportedly loaded their three trucks with track materials forcefully removed from the rail.

Public Relations Officer for the Northern District of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Alhaji Abdullahi, in a statement on Monday, said two of the truck were stopped and impounded by security agents.

However, a Canter truck driver absconded with a portion of the stolen materials.

Some of the vandals were also apprehended by security operatives around the community.

Abdullahi highlighted the logistical challenges with the urgency to act before nightfall and the volatile nature of the area.

“It was difficult to arrange for logistics to evacuate track rails and sleepers before it got dark,” he said, emphasizing the collaborative efforts with local vigilantes and hunters to bolster surveillance along the affected railway stretch.

“We received a report on Sunday that the vandals were arrested during their illicit operation with two long trucks loaded with rail track materials,” Abdullahi said.

He added that the case has been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation.

“The case is at present with the NSCDC, O.C. Anti-Vandal for further investigation,” Abdullahi stated.

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UK firm to build PH-Enugu-Abuja standard rail line – FG

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UK firm to build PH-Enugu-Abuja standard rail line – FG

The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Messrs MPH Rail Development Limited, a United Kingdom company for the construction of the Port Harcourt–Enugu–Calabar–Abuja Standard Gauge Rail Line.

The project when completed will be operated under a public-private partnership framework.

These details are contained in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Transportation and published on its website.

Under the MoU, the UK firm will manage the design, construction, commissioning, operation and eventually transfer to the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

The ministry stated that the MoU signing followed the approval of the Outline Business Case and the issuance of a compliance certificate by the Infrastructure, Concession, and Regulatory Commission.

This clearance allows Messrs MPH Rail Development (UK) Limited to focus on assembling the necessary documents for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval to proceed with the project.

Some of the essential documents for advancing this initiative are listed as a comprehensive feasibility study report, a full Business Case Study, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, the production of a Resettlement Action Plan, and the design of a Financial Model to implement the project.

This would ensure transfer of the line to the Federal Government under a PPP arrangement without incurring loans or debts for the Nigerian government or its agencies.

At the MoU signing ceremony, Alkali pledged the ministry’s support for the successful implementation of the project.

He emphasized the importance of diligent preparation and submission of all requisite documents to expedite FEC’s approval.

The statement read in part, “As part of the initiative to consolidate the ongoing railway modernisation projects consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Presidential Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, the Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Ahmed Alkali, has executed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Transportation with Messrs MPH Rail Development (UK) Limited to enable the company to carry out the design, construction, commissioning, operation and transfer of the Port Harcourt–Enugu–Calabar–Abuja Standard Gauge Rail Line on Public – Private Partnership basis.”

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