Railway
Passengers stranded as Abuja-Kaduna train breaks down, faulty engine replaced
Scores of passengers travelling on a Kaduna-Abuja train Monday morning were stranded after their train broke down a few kilometres away from Rigasa Station, Kaduna State.
The train reportedly developed a mechanical fault just some five minutes after leaving Rigasa.
An engineer with the Nigerian Railway Corporation reportedly pleaded with the passengers over the incident, adding that they had contacted the train station at Idu in the Federal Capital Territory for another locomotive to be sent so that the passengers could be conveyed to their destination.
He said, “We are very sorry, the locomotive is faulty. We have contacted the Idu Train Station for another locomotive. It would take them two hours to be here.”
Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Midat Joseph, who was on the train, said the train developed fault around 7am.
“I left my house as early as 5am to join the 6.40am train but unfortunately I have been trapped here in this forest,” Joseph said.
The Managing Director of the NRC, Fidet Okhiria, confirmed the incident, saying the train broke down as a result of engine failure but added that another engine had taken over.
“It’s an engine failure, but a relief engine has taken over.”
Last year, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had said locomotives on the Abuja-Kaduna rail route broke down up to two times would be returned to China.
He said, “It is worrisome that these locomotives that are brand new are failing,” Amaechi said during an inspection in Lagos.
He said the locomotives had a warranty for over four years, adding that the government was considering returning them to China.
Many people travelling between Abuja and Kaduna use the train because of kidnapping on the road.
Although cases of abduction have abated, the train is still the preferred choice of passengers who go to Abuja from Kaduna and vice versa.
Railway
Nigerian railway adds extra train to Friday, Saturday trips on Lagos-Ibadan route
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
Railway
Nigeria gets $350m AfDB facility for Kano-Maradi rail project
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
Railway
Lagos Blue Rail: LAMATA speaks on fire incident
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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