Lagos-Ibadan rail: Laying of tracks begins April – Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday, assured that the April target for the commencement of laying of tracks for the ongoing $1.5 billion LagosIbadan railway project is certain, even as he said the December 2018 deadline for the completion of the project “appears” feasible.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Project Steering Committee with the contractor handling the project, The China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), held at Papalanto in Ogun State, Amaechi said his earlier doubt about delivering the project in December, 2018, was evaporating, saying the speed of the project had greatly increased.

He also disclosed that the train station in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, had been moved North West to avoid demolishing 1004 buildings in the area.

It would be recalled that during the February meeting, there was a heated discussion on whether to relocate the station or demolish the buildings which would have caused the government over N2.8bn, but the team eventually settled for the former.

Amaechi said while he was impressed with the pace of work, the commencement of rainy season was a total setback, but encouraged the contactor to work day and night to complete the surface work.

He said, “I am very impressed, the speed has increased. The doubt I had before whether we could achieve this project by the end of the year appears to be clearing.”

According to him, the challenges at the moment lie with the Lagos corridor where there are many utilities like pipelines, bridges, among others.

He, however, said a committee chaired by the Chairman of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Engr. Usman Abubakar, with the MD, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Army as members, had been tasked to come up with “the best engineering solution that will have minimal impact on the people.”