THE management of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) yesterday, announced plans to deploy 75 per cent of the 20 new locomotives recently commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan to cater for the growing demands for freight services.
Speaking yesterday, Managing Director of NRC, Oluseyi Sijuade, explained that as part of strategies to adequately satisfy the demands from firms, 80 various types of freight wagons have also been rehabilitated and brought back to service.
But the deployment of the recently commissioned locomotives will start immediately ongoing rehabilitation works from Jebba to Kano is completed.
President Goodluck Jonathan, while addressing a political rally in Osogbo, Osun State recently, said the rail line between Lagos and Jebba would be completed and open for operation by the end of this month.
He said: “I have just received a report from the Chairman of the NRC that by the end of this month (March), a segment of railway between Lagos and Jebba would be completed and people will begin to board train from Osogbo.”
However, the NRC boss disclosed that plans have been concluded to procure additional locomotives and new sets of pressurised tank wagons before the end of this year.
Sijuade explained that discussion have reached an advanced stage to link Lilypond Freight Terminal in Lagos to NRC network while arrangement to commence containerised traffic with ICN Limited to inland container depots at Kano and Kaduna, and other seaborne traffic are “being concluded.”
He added that ongoing movement of cement from Ewekoro in Ogun State to Lagos State is to be extended to major cities soon.
The Guardian also gathered yesterday that the Mass Transit Train Services (MTTS) between Lagos and Ilorin earlier scheduled for Wednesday, last week, has been rescheduled for this week.
NRC Assistant Director in charge of Public Relations, David Ndakotsu, explained yesterday that the programme stopped in Ibadan, Oyo State, due to the ongoing construction work along the axis.
According to the NRC, the MTTS project had been replicated in Kano, Kaduna-Challawa, Jos and Maiduguri, while a concrete sleeper had been established at Bodija, in Ibadan.
NRC said to make the MTTS an outstanding success, the corporation has dedicated some of its newly acquired locomotives and coaches to the passengers train project.
Ndakotsu said the mass transit train was on its way to IIorin last Wednesday when it got a radio message advising it to stop over in Ibadan due to the construction work.
He said: “It was during the trial run that we got a radio message to navigate the train at Ibadan instead of Ilorin.”
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Railway plans 75 per cent new locomotives for freight services