Reducing the Burden on Roads with Rail
Increasing the haulage of goods by rail will reduce the pressure on roads across the country,
The idea of reducing the pressure on the roads did not start today. The corporation stated that it would not relent on the strategies it has put in place to reduce the loss of manpower, money and deaths caused by frequent road accidents and vehicular traffic
The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has many years ago started the haulage of cement for Lafarge Cement Plc, among other products for many other companies. However, with the increase necessity to free the roads from the constant activities of heavy duty vehicles, the corporation has redoubled efforts to end their menace. The goal is to remove the trailers and tankers on major Nigerian roads with its latest improved haulage system.
Reducing Pressure The idea of reducing the pressure on the roads did not start today. The corporation stated that it would not relent on the strategies it has put in place to reduce the loss of manpower, money and deaths caused by frequent road accidents and vehicular traffic. Apparently aware that it cannot do it alone, it said it has resolved to partner with oil and gas companies to lift and distribute petroleum products by rail across the country.
It must be noted that apart from the opportunity offered by this partnership to reach consumers in the hinterland, and neighbouring countries, the haulage services by train will help to significantly reduce the nagging traffic congestions on Nigerian roads, especially Apapa, Lagos which is home to the busiest and largest ports in the country as a single haulage trip by rail is equivalent to 25 trucks laden with cement.
Experts in the transports industry have averred that it is an indubitable fact that three to four-day trips by heavy duty trucks on the road would be reduced by train service, thereby significantly reducing the pressure on the roads across the country. This is due to the fact that the safety of persons and good by rail transport has been proved as a more reliable means of transportation in long distance into the hinterland.
At a recent meeting at Lafarge Cement plant in Ewekoro, Ogun State, where journalists were conducted round the improved haulage system of cement to various parts of the country by rail, the Chief Executive Officer of the intermediary firm between NRC and its partners, Connect Rail Service Limited, Mr. Edeme Kelikume, said no fewer than 100 trailers will be taken off the road daily with the new loading system known as palletiser.
Modern Loading There is no doubt that modern science and technology have changed the way and manner things are presently done. The railway transportation is not an exception. It has benefitted immensely from the modern way of doing things. Kelikume disclosed that the new loading system has efficiently quickened operations, especially in the time it takes to load bags of cement into the wagons. He revealed that it takes only three to four hours to load 12 wagons of 800 bags each unlike the old system (manual) which often takes 12 hours to load the same number of wagons.
Giving an insight into the operations, Kelikume said: “We are looking at about a hundred million tons of goods taken off the road. Presently, we move cement to Ilorin, Kwara State; Mina, Niger State; Kaduna, Kaduna State; and Kano, Kano State.
However, we would start Lagos operation by the end of this month. We hope to reduce the vicious traffic congestion which has become a nagging problem for all stakeholders in the country right now.
“So we are targeting at taking 1000 trucks off the road everyday, and as professionals in the business, our duty is to understand these risks and manage them. If we want to do 100 trips in a month, all the hundred trips we will not move in the same manner. Logistics is about movements, as there is no fixed method of moving. Our job is to try and ensure that the deviation is minimal from the standards. It is the way to go as it complements trailers and trucks. For some of the locations we have moved to, when we get the destination, we also use trucks to move from the stations to the warehouse, so it is a complementary service and inter-modal.”
According to him, one shipment of Lafarge products takes 9,600 bags of cement invariably taking almost 25 trailers off the road. Effective rail haulage system does not mean that trailers or trucks would disappear. It would reduce their movements and make their operation more efficient.
For instance, a truck that will take two days to enter Apapa, will take a day and comeback the same day. So you can imagine the turnaround time of the truck, the wear and tear on the truck, profitability of the truck, on the driver and his safety. Nobody has to sit down on the steering for so long.
He explained that the palletised loading bay at Lafarge would effectively aid their operations, pointing out that his firm produced the palettes for the production floor. The Connect Rail Service Limited Chief Executive Officer explained that his firm uses the fork lift to bring the bags of cement to the palletized floor and from there it put the palettes in the wagons.
“It is a fully automatic machine, once you put the palette there, you will see cement wrapped in the palette. It is the most efficient way to load devoid of time wasting.
Despite the fact that there are workers on standby to monitor it, the machine does most of the work by itself. It picks it up and arranges the cement bags, 40 bags per palettes. Then we use thick branded nylon material to wrap
the cement to avoid any misfortune. This machine is 60 per cent efficient. We have different types of wagons for this operation that allow easy loading and offloading.
The beauty of the automatic system is that while this takes about 12hours to load a train manually, in this case, we load three wagons at once within an hour”, he added.
According to Kelikume, at peak efficiency, he can complete the haulage of the wagon within, four hours. Also, the open wagons make the work even faster. At full efficiency of these wagons, the capacity of almost 30 trailers can be done within hours.
Smoothening Rough Edges
Stakeholders in the maritime industry have stressed the need for the corporation to smoothen all the rough edges. At a recent tour of the infrastructure in Apapa where NRC Director of Mechanical/Electrical Signal and Telecommunication, Mr. Fidet Okhiria disclosed that rail tracks have to be laid into the tank farms to avoid double handling. This is meant to change the ways things were done in the past.
Hitherto, the companies are supposed to link up their premises with rail tracks, but due to the priority that the government places on rail transport, NRC has gone extra mile to do it. The aim of the initiative is to meet international standards and practices.
Okhiria stated that passenger train is currently being used for cargo evacuation.
According to him, “we are still maintaining the narrow gauge until the standard gauge is fully built. For now, ICNL and the Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc are also our major customers.”
On her part, NRC Station Manager, Apapa, Mrs. Ngozi Umoh, disclosed that in a space of five months, the corporation has moved 328, 000 bags of flour on its rail line which passes from Apapa to Kano which she said is equivalent to 40 trailers.
Within the period under review, NRC has moved 160 containers belonging to APM Terminals Apapa Limited from the port.
Similarly, the Apapa-Ijoko train service recorded 41, 973 passengers from July to September this year while 7, 832 passengers were recorded through the Diesel Multiple Unit (first class) train.
Umoh revealed that the NRC is currently in talks with various companies especially Dangote for movement of their products to different parts of the country by rail.
NRC stated that the problem of petroleum products haulage across the country will soon be address as major oil marketers have resolved to partner the corporation to lift and distribute their products by rail.
According to a letter dated September 29, 2015, addressed to the Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuwade, and signed by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Obafemi Olawore, the oil marketers expressed delight that the partnership would be mutually beneficial and above all, have a positive impact on the nation.
Already, the corporation has taken delivery of 40 pressurised tank wagons specially designed for the rail transportation of petroleum products for this purpose. The new pressurised wagons were said to be superior to previous ones used by NRC as they have loading capacity of 40 tons and a carriage capacity of 45,000 litres, thereby reducing that capacity of tankers destroying the road.
Other features of the wagons which make them apt for the operation include high operational and maintenance facilities, including health and safety protection mechanism which enables non-spillage of contents even in the event of accidents.
Continuing, it said: “These tank wagons are well fitted with in-built fire and other hazards prevention system controls and pressure gauge to show condition of oil contents at all times. It is noteworthy that these wagons are currently being used by NRC to transport diesel from Apapa in Lagos to Kano aimed at reducing the number of tankers entering the state. Furthermore, plans to commence movement of petroleum products for Oando from their oil tank farm in Lagos to their depot in Kaduna are being finalised, as the rehabilitation of railway sidings leading to various oil tank farms easy accessibility and direct loading has been completed”.
Sustenance
It must be noted there is need to sustain the present momentum of providing alternative means of transporting petroleum products across the country.
The idea of using rail to move goods, especially cement, steel, and petroleum products is good for country. However, the initiative needs to be sustained in the years ahead. All hands must be on deck to ensure that the right thing is not only done but seen to be done. The roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in the initiative must be clearly stated and strictly implemented by all the parties concerned.
Against the backdrop of the poor maintenance culture in the country, adequate measures must be put in place to ensure an all-round-monitoring and maintenance of the rail tracks, wagons, and other components in the haulage of these goods by rail. This is the only way the present initiative which has already attracted accolades from far and near will not turn out to be a flash in the pan. This should not be allowed to happen as it will worsen the present precarious situation on the roads.
The haulage services by train will help to significantly reduce the nagging traffic congestions on Nigerian roads, especially Apapa, Lagos which is home to the busiest and largest ports in the country as a single haulage trip by rail is equivalent to 25 trucks laden with cement