In its determination to make rail transport a viable means of revenue generation, the federal government has taken delivery of additional trains from China.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who disclosed this on his Twitter Account @ ChibuikeAmaechi, said the first batch of the consignment included two motored cars and four locomotives.
The 1st batch of new trains built for us by CRRC- 2 motored cars and 4 Locomotives. I have taken delivery & they would soon be in Nigeria. Work is ongoing on the 2nd batch of trains. The plan is to connect & unite the entire country by rail. Together, let’s ride to the #NextLevel pic.twitter.com/8uJnf1M4NR
— Chibuike.R. Amaechi (@ChibuikeAmaechi) October 17, 2019
He said the trains will service the ever-busy Abuja – Kaduna rail line, as well as the Lagos-Ibadan corridor.
According to the Minister, work has since commenced on the second batch of trains to be delivered, as soon as they were ready.
According to Amaechi, the federal government remained irrevocably committed to connecting the entire country by rail.
The development comes amid concerns of inadequate coaches to service the growing number of commuters, especially on the Abuja – Kaduna rail line.
Writing from Qisuyan district, Changzhou, China, where he had test-ran the trains, Amaechi said: “Yesterday, I test-ran and took delivery of more trains in China to service the Abuja-Kaduna and Lagos-Ibadan rail lines.
“For those complaining that the trains are not enough, especially for the Abuja-Kaduna route, we heard your cries, the trains are coming.”
BusinessDay recalls that on October 10 in Abuja, the minister, on behalf of the federal government, signed an agreement with the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), for the latter to construct the $3.9 billion Abuja-Baru-Itakpe-Warri rail line.
As part of the agreement, the CRCC will also handle the construction of a new seaport.
Upon completion, the projects will be managed by the construction firm for a period of 30 years.
