Train passengers to pay N200/N300 per trip in Lagos – Newstrends
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Train passengers to pay N200/N300 per trip in Lagos

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Lagos residents will pay between N200 and N300 for train tickets with in the metropolis, the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said.

The state government last week announced that it purchased two Series 8 trains for the red line train project as part of efforts to ease transportation in the state.

Governor Sanwo-Olu spoke on the train fare on Friday when he featured on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme.

The governor said the vision of his government this year is to reduce traffic and the time being spent by commuters on the road.

He said the government would make the ticket fare affordable for residents.

“Time is money and we need to move millions of people in Lagos from one corridor to another. The vision is to reduce travel time and gridlock on the road,” he said.

“And be able to do a better journey planning where you can predict pretty much this journey will take you 25 minutes, 30 minutes, not the one you get lost on the road that we have now and you are there for 2, 3 hours.

“I don’t think citizens will be breaking their backs. It will be affordable; N200, N250. It probably won’t be more than that.

“I really cannot say because the fare structure will be where you are joining to where you are hopping off. Typically, it won’t be more than what you are running on your BRT lines today. It certainly cannot be more than that. For it to be accessible, affordability is critical for people to make it a better option.

“Now, it is quicker instead of you staying one hour on the road, it’s going to take you 20 minutes which comes with a lot of benefits. Affordability is critical, it’s not going to be in the thousands. So, you will still be in your regular N200, N300 per journey and that is what we are looking at.

“At best, if our operators say that ‘No, Mr Governor, it is more expensive’. We can do financing metrics… I will give you a longer tenure time to be able to defray your cost but keep it affordable for our citizens.”

The governor also said the state will start testing the blue rail lines this year, adding that terminal stations will also be ready by the fourth quarter of the year.

“And by the grace of God, we will also be completing the blue line. What Lagosians are expecting from us will be actively working with trains — two rail lines by the first quarter of this year,” he said.

“We would have started testing by this year. If we don’t bring passengers on, it will be for security reasons. The trains will be on track by the 4th quarter, the terminal stations will be ready by the fourth quarter.

“It will probably be like things around communication that we are trying to test. We will probably be doing some test run by the end of this quarter.”

 

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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