New Lagos-Ibadan railway for inauguration, full operation next month – Amaechi – Newstrends
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New Lagos-Ibadan railway for inauguration, full operation next month – Amaechi

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3 years ago

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Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said the new Lagos-Ibadan rail line will be fully ready for formal inauguration and commence full operation in June (next month).
Already, he said about 90 per cent of the project being handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation was ready, adding that the remaining work should be completed in two-three weeks.
Amaechi, who spoke in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday after a train ride from Lagos on an inspection of the line, also ordered the arrest of buyers of vandalised rail track facilities and other equipment.
He said he would need to obtain the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to give the actual date of the inauguration of the line currently on skeletal service/trial run.
He said, “I hope the Office of the President will approve the commissioning of this project in June. We will communicate the actual date in the next one or two weeks but certainly, I think it is in June.
“We are not 100 percent ready for commissioning but if for nothing, we are 89 to 90 percent ready for commissioning and we are hoping that by the next three weeks we will be ready and by then, they will give us a date fron the office of the president. One thing is that by the time they give us a date, we will be ready for commissioning.”
The minister also said the e-ticketing platform would be deployed to Lagos-Ibadan rail in order to manage the envisaged passenger traffic.
“I have directed the MD of NRC to advertise for the e-ticketing and we hope the traffic that we will witness on this axis will be managed with that platform,” he said.
On how the project would be maintained after completion, Amaechi said, “There is maintenance plan between us and the CCECC within the next three to five years. And by then, I would have left government but for me and within the period I am serving as minister, there is an agreement between us and the CCECC for the purpose of maintenance.”
The minister, while commenting on the stealing and vandalization of rail track, not only the vandals or thieves should be arrested and prosecuted but also buyers of such stolen rail materials.
According to him, cases of vandalisation exists because there are those who have indicated interest in the vandalised facilities.
He also said the rate of vandalisation would reduce if the judiciary system could dispense justice without delay, adding that state government must create more jobs.
He said, “I don’t know why some Nigerians are like the way they are. I have told the Managing Director of NRC to arrest the buyers of the equipment. It is not enough to arrest the vandals.
“It is likened to those who said why should the National Assembly punish those who pay ransom, that law was first passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly when I was a speaker and the reason is, that, when there is no demand, there will be no supply.
“If we don’t pay ransom, they will be tired and they will stop. The same way, if they don’t buy those metals, slippers and others, nobody will steal them.
“Also, we must approach the Judiciary to have court that can dispense justice readily so that people are sent to jail early enough to deter others and we will also encourage our governors to create jobs.”
The minister said some of the people vandalising the facilities had been arrested.

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Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route

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2 days ago

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November 12, 2024

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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

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Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project

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2 weeks ago

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October 28, 2024

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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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Lagos Blue Rail: LAMATA speaks on fire incident 

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3 weeks ago

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October 26, 2024

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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.”

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