- Ready for flag off by VP Osinbajo
By ODIMMEGWA JOHNPETER, Abuja
In the preparations for the flag off the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on February 6, 2019, the Minister of Transportation, Right Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, was in Lagos on Friday 1st of February, 2019 and test run the first Standard Gauge Rail Line in the Country from Agbado in Lagos to Abeokuta in Ogun State.
Amaechi who rode in a train from Agbado to Abeokuta in the company of some senior Directors of his Ministry and Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, as well as journalists stated that the Vice President will be in Lagos to flag off the first phase of the project from Agbado to Abeokuta for passengers’ use in what he described as ‘reducing passengers time from one hour to 45 minutes’ from Lagos to Abeokuta.
The visibly elated Minister said he was very impressed with the level of progress of work on the Lagos-Ibadan Railway Project as passengers will now travel from Lagos to Abeokuta in less than one hour. He said “I am impressed because I can now travel from Lagos to Abeokuta in less than one hour”.
The Minister informed that he had directed the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, to deploy two more Coaches from Itakpe–Warri Rail line to add to the Lagos-Ibadan Rail line stock to make it four.
He explained that after the flag off, the Lagos-Ibadan Railway will commence a test run of free passengers ride for two months
However, Rotimi Amaechi hinted that the flag off of the first phase for passengers use will not stop continuous work from Iju to Apapa Sea port in Lagos and Abeokuta to Ibadan segments of the project.
He declared: “Iju to Apapa Sea port is crucial because it will reduce the traffic gridlock associated with the Apapa port”. And for Abeokuta to Ibadan, work has gone far on the civil work and also, they are doing what is called ‘blast work’. Another major work they have to do is the construction of Stations and Communication Systems along the corridor. As soon as they are through with all these, they will then commence the laying of tracks.”
Similarly, the Minister disclosed that the ltakpe-Warri Railway will be commissioned as soon as the construction of the twelve Stations along the corridor is completed.