Lagos-Ibadan rail can run on electric in future

The ongoing Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail project can be converted to electric train in future, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), has assured Nigerians.

Mr Jerry Oche, the Railway District Manager of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, told the Nigerian’s News correspondent on Wednesday in Lagos that the Federal Government was serious on delivering the project on time as “work is going on as we speak’’.

He said that the project was not just about the standard gauge only.

According to him, the government has taken into cognisance, the possibility for this project to be converted into an electrically driven train in the future.

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“I’m sure most Nigerians are aware of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard gauge railway project.

“This is one of the projects that government of the day has taken very seriously.

“As a matter of fact, it’s a project funded by China and Nigeria Government.

“Nigeria, as of today, has paid 100 per cent counterpart funding for that project.

“Every month, we have project meeting chaired by the Minister of Transport Rotimi Amechi himself, not representative.

“The government of the day is serious on delivering that project; work is going on as we speak.

“And of course, in railway, the standard gauge is the in-thing of the day.

“This particular project is not just about the standard gauge, we’ve also taken into cognisance, the possibility for this project to be converted into an electrically driven train in the future.

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“All the provisions, all the land we’ve acquired, we’ve made provision for that possibility, in case we wake up tomorrow and we say hey, we want to convert it to electric trains.

“But we all know why we wouldn’t want to do that now; we all know the power situation in the country.

But if there is an improvement, I can assure you, we will change to that (electric trains),’’ Oche said.