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.”

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.