Repeal railway act of 1955, stakeholders tell FG

Members of the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics yesterday urged the Federal Government to repeal the National Railway Act of 1955 if it hopes to make any meaningful progress in its quest to revamp the railway sector.

The FG penultimate Thursday signed a $3.9bn contract with the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited for the construction of a new Abuja-ItakpeLokoja rail line.

The rail line will pass through Baro and have a branch line to Lokoja, the

Kogi State capital.

Also included in the contract agreement are the completion of the rail line from Warri Central Station and the construction of the new Warri seaport.

Rising from its annual national conference held yesterday in Delta State, members of the Institute said the present legal framework which is the RAILWAY ACT of 1955 could not support the present aspiration for the establishment and unbundling of a modern, efficient and effective railway.

The National

Ibrahim Jubril,

President, said that

Mr. rail transportation development which is an integral part of multi modal freight logistics and transportation in Nigeria has been neglected over time.

He said the trend must be deliberately halted if Nigeria is to fully realize her socio economic potentials for social and economic integration.

The National President who was represented by the Deputy National President, Barr Alban Igwe noted that the average cumulative sub sectorial Capital Expenditure Allocations in the transport sub sector had been made to the disadvantage of the rail transport.