Nigeria to produce 500 rail wagons annually from Kajola plant - Buhari – Newstrends
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Nigeria to produce 500 rail wagons annually from Kajola plant – Buhari

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2 years ago

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Kajola wagon plant to produce 500 units annually – Buhari

Nigeria on Monday made history as its completed rail wagon assembly plant, first in West Africa, was inaugurated at Kajola, Ogun State.

President Muhammadu Buhari said the assembly plant would annually produce 500 open rail wagons, container flat wagons and box wagons.

Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo, said that out of 368 various types of wagons needed and awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), about 220 wagons of the existing rolling stock procurement contract would be produced at the Kajola plant pending when the plant would be transformed to full wagon manufacturing plant.

He said, “The establishment of the Kajola Assembly Plant was a Corporate Social Responsibility by Messrs CCECC Nigeria Limited in the Lagos-Ibadan Railway Modernization Project being a section of the Lagos-Kano Railway Modernization Project.

“With my approval, the ministry signed an agreement in March 2018 with Messrs. CCECC as Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) by the company in compliance with Presidential Order No. 5 to promote companies’ involvement in infrastructure development and transfer of technology to Nigeria.

“Expectedly, the Federal Government is to facilitate the establishment of the plant by providing an enabling environment and necessary support in terms of tax waivers, utilities (power and water supply), access road and rail sidings etc. This responsibility was carried out meticulously by the Nigerian government.

“The groundbreaking ceremony of the Wagon Assembly Plant as you may wish to note was performed by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo GCON, on November 8, 2019.

“The Wagon Assembly Plant is now completed and has a locomotive and rolling depot, having the capacity to produce 500 Wagons per year of open wagons, container flat wagons and box wagons.”

“Out of 368 various types of wagons needed and awarded to Messrs. CCECC, about 220 wagons of the existing rolling stock procurement contract are to be produced at the Kajola Plant pending when the plant would be transformed into a full wagon manufacturing plant.”

The President also spoke on the establishment of the first University of Transportation in Nigeria in Daura, Katsina State, as the second CSR project of the CCECC in the country.

“The intention of this university is to ensure adequate turnout of graduates, technicians, artisan and researchers in different areas of transportation, especially railway transportation, to guarantee the sustainability of the massive infrastructural provision of this administration on rail transportation,” President Buhari said.

Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, said the plant would serve as a home facility for replacement of faulty wagons instead of sourcing them overseas.

Okhiria said some wagons had been delivered to NRC which passed the trial stage and were certified for usage.

Hon. Tajudeen Obasa, representing Ojo Federal Constituency, who read a joint message by the Committee on Land Transportation, said the Kajola Plant was another “promise made, and promise kept by the Buhari administration.”

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Lagos Rail Mass Transit part of FG free train ride – NRC

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17 hours ago

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December 21, 2024

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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

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Railway

NRC announces special Xmas, end-of-year train service

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2 weeks ago

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December 5, 2024

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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.”

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Railway

FG hands over $3bn Port Harcourt-Aba railway project to NRC

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3 weeks ago

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November 29, 2024

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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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