“We are on the threshold of presenting to
Nigerians a standard gauge railway train
service that will be safe, fast and reliable,”
said Buhari at a ceremony to mark the line’s
opening.
He went on to assure Nigerians the country’s
railway system would eventually link most
state capitals and major commercial and
production centres, but did not set a time
frame for doing so.
“I wish to also reassure Nigerians that due
attention will be placed on… rehabilitating the
existing 3,505km narrow gauge rail line and
developing and constructing new standard
gauge rail lines across the country,” he said.
Nigeria has two main narrow gauge lines, from
Lagos in the south to Yobe State in the north,
and from Port Harcourt in the Delta to the
north-eastern state of Borno. British
colonialists started construction on the first
Lagos line in 1896.
Standard gauge rail tracks have a distance of
143.51cm between the inside edges of the
rails, and it is the width used by more than
half of countries in the world including the EU
and the US.
The new line runs from the federal capital
Abuja to the city of Kaduna, capital of the
North Western state of Kaduna, “a corridor
which has a huge potential for industries,
agricultural activities and a growing labour
force,” said Buhari.
Nigeria has also agreed to China’s help in
completing a rail line from the Delta oil city of
Warri in the south to Abuja, it has been
reported.
Nigeria’s transport minister, Rotimi Amaechi,
signed a memorandum of understanding with
the state-owned China Railway Construction
Corporation (CRCC) to complete the line
between the Warri and the iron ore mining
town of Itakpe, and extend it north to Abuja.
According to the Nigerian Observer Amaechi
said: “It is part of the economic corridor in
Nigeria where we have solid minerals. We
have been working on that line for a long time
and we will like to complete it.”
Amaechi said negotiations with CRCC would
commence after the partnership is given the
president’s approval.
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