The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, says the Federal Government has extended the Lagos-Ibadan Modernisation Project from its original destination at Ebutte Meta to Lagos Ports.
According to him, this is to allow for massive freight movement and free up Lagos roads.
Amaechi made the disclosure while briefing journalists after inspecting the three mega stations and seven minor stations of the newly constructed standard gauge railway in Ibadan on Saturday.
The Minister of Transportation was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani; Chairman, Governing Board of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mallam Musa Al-Hassan and the Managing Director of NRC, Fidet Okhiria.
The inspection commenced from the mega station at Ebutte Meta before proceeding to the Apapa Port station.
Inside the port, the Minister frowned at the indiscriminate parking of trucks on the old narrow gauge tracks along the corridor.
According to him, inspection of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail to all the stations is to put finishing touches to the 157km fast rail.
Amaechi said that the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor handling the project, had connected rail line with the country’s premier port in Lagos.
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“It is not clear when the project is to be commissioned as the earlier commissioning date of January 2021 was shifted due to the second wave of COVID-19.
“Sometime in January, over 60 workers on the site contracted COVID-19 which stalled the completion of the project,” the Minister said.
The Managing Director of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, said that the current frequency of the Lagos to Ibadan train service will be increased from once daily to twice daily in two weeks time.
According to him, when it commences operation, the passenger train will stop at Agege railway station and Abeokuta enroute Ibadan and back, instead of the present trend of stopping only at Abeokuta after takeoff from Lagos.(NAN)
