The Nigerian Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has said two additional coaches will be added to the Abuja- Kaduna rail line to take care of the high passenger traffic that is presently being experienced along the corridor.
The minister who made this known on Monday during his routine inspection of the ongoing Lagos- Ibadan rail project said the additional couches will be moved from
Itakpe-Warri rail line to Abuja train service.
“I have given directives that they should move two additional coaches from Warri to Abuja because there are not too many passenger on Itakpe-Warri rail service because it heads to nowhere, it’s stop at Itakpe so where are you heading to,” he said.
He said Nigerians will only enjoy the full benefits of Abuja – Kaduna rail service when it is connected to Lokoja – Itakpe corridor.
The minister said the Lagos-Ibadan rail project is experiencing delay at kilometer 121 to 134 due to high level of under ground water, bad soil and under ground rocks.
He added that the May Presidential train ride from lagos to Ibadan might no longer be visible till June.
“It is 50 -50 because we can actually push them and achieve it. We can if we want to but what is the benefit of getting May when they said we should give them till second week in June. What is the difference?
“We need to look at the stations, signaling and telecommunications because if we finish the tracks because we have agreed that the tracks will finish between May ending and first week of June and there is no Station not signalling, we will still have to go back to do that.
Commenting on why the government is mounting pressure on the Chinese contractors he said “The rush is not because of APC. As a minister, I am Minister of transport for APC and PDP. It was not about APC, I always knew that we will win.
“My problem is that there is too much congestion at the seaport, there is gridlock in Lagos. The moment we finish this segment before December, we will have to face Apapa, then nearly all the cargoes will be be all the track.
“That way, we will resolve the gridlock and congestion at the seaport which will create employment and economic growth which is the target of the government. So it is not about APC, ” he explained.
