LAGOS IBADAN RAIL COMPLETION DATE ANNOUNCED
July 10, 2017
Hurray, the Federal Government through the Minister of
Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has hinted that rail service from Ibadan to Lagos
will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2018. Rotimi Amaechi, spoke to the
press during his assessment of the project at Ijoko, in Ado Odo/Ota Local
Government area of Ogun State.
Amaechi, who briefed reporters on site with the Ogun State
Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, was quoted saying, “By December 2018, we want to see
locomotives running from Lagos to Ibadan. We are committed to achieving this
and the fund obtained from China Exim Bank is already on ground to ensure that
nothing obstructs this timeline.”
He said, “the primary constraints the contractor identified are
the heights of two pedestrian bridges in Lagos (at Oshodi and Ikeja), and an
ongoing flyover bridge at Ijoko. The second problem was the multiplicity of
level crossing on the rail’s right of way. The contractor said they could not
proceed on laying the rail tracks until those impediments are sorted out. As soon
as the constraints are sorted the contractors would begin on the project.”
on the left is Governor Ibikunle Amosun and the right is the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi |
He said while the project needs a minimum height of 6.5
metres, the identified bridges are about 4.5 metres high. The minister added
that the height of the bridge would have to be raised higher to accommodate
future electrification of the train’s right-of-way.
Amaechi and Amosun agreed that engineers from the contractor,
the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Transportation would meet on the best
way to resolve the logjam. The minister said the governor approved the closure
of the two roads abutting the bridge to allow unhindered operation around the
train’s right-of-way.
“The engineers are going to meet from today and we will also
meet by Wednesday. So, by Friday, I would be meeting with Governor Amosun on
the best option identified by the engineers and that’s what we’re going to
take,” he said.
Thanking the Federal Government for coming up finally with
the standard gauge project, Amosun said Ogun State is committed to working with
the government to resolve all the challenges to achieve the modern train
service.
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