The Federal Government is intensifying efforts to revive Itakpe-Ajeokuta-Warri rail line in a bid to ensure the resumption of commercial activities on the rail route before the end of first quarter of 2018.
Speaking with journalists after the inspection of the abandoned rail line near Warri Delta State, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi stated that, “We have directive from the Federal Government that we must complete the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line and it was put in this year budget. By the end of December last year, we had disbursed some money to the contractors; Julius Berger and others to commence work, so we have come to see how far.”
“We are constructing bridges too in order to reduce contact with humans beings who would try to cross the track because this is a speed lane and once it starts, it is going to be 120 to 150 kilometres per hour and the chances of killing human beings are going to be higher than the narrow gauge because it is a standard gauge” the noted.
Amaechi explained that, “If this contract was completed between the time it was awarded, Nigeria would have been the first country in Africa to have a standard gauge rail line, it depends on who you are talking to, some would say the contract was awarded 30 years ago while other would say 34 years but whatever year it is, we need to get this place functioning and the directive of the Federal Government is we should start and our target is that by June 2018, commercial activities would resume”.
In respected to the vandalised part of the rail track, the Minister stated that, “i can’t say until the Federal Government awards the remaining Part of the track because from Itakpe-Ajaokuta is bad. They have vandalised everything there and stolen most of the steel and other materials”.
“If the Cabinet approves, the project would be awarded to CCECC to rehabilitate it and we are hoping that CCECC would be able to finish before May, 2018″ adding that ” there are no stations, so CCECC would have to build stations”.
According to him, “Julius Berger was handling the project before but they said they cannot continue because they had demobliised and taken all their equipment back to France and they can’t start bring equipment back again because it would cost us more, so we will take a contractor who is in Nigeria and has all the equipments that can fix the standard gauge, standard gauge is standard gauge anywhere, there is no magic about it”.
He said Julius Berger has opted out but they will complete remaining part of the project they have started. “The company is on site to complete the project and we are trying to protect the project from thieves send those who would want to cause damage by vandalising the facility”.
On the cost implication, Amaechi said: “I can’t tell you about that because it was awarded in 1987 and later in 1994 and they were in phases. What is important now is that the federal government is determined to complete it so that we can have train on this track by June next year.
The rail project was first awarded in 1987 and reviewed in 1994, however, the projected was not completed and the built structures has been laying waste for decades.
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