Reps assure NRC of support towards optimising rail infrastructure

Impressed by the jobs done so far at the various operations locations from Lagos to Ibadan, the House of Representatives Committee on Land Transportation has assured the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) of both legislative and financial support to get rail transportation functioning optimally.

Speaking recently during their oversight visit to the NRC in Lagos, Chairman of the committee, Hon. Blessing Onuh, stated that “Rail transportation is very vital to the development of every nation.

“When these things start to work, the prices of food will crash automatically, things will get better and transportation will also be a lot cheaper. We need to encourage the rail transport sector to ensure that it works, in whatever way.”

On their assessment of the jobs done so far, Onuh, who spoke during the train trip to other operational stations up to Ibadan, said she saw magnificent buildings, ticketing sections and the operation room, “and they are working at about 95 percent completion.

“The train was really comfortable, of course nothing can be 100 percent, but I believe we need to give rail transport the much-needed support to work. So far, it is impressive.

“It does not matter whether you have the means or not, if it works, a lot of people would want to join the queue. However, there is the need for us to ensure that things work in the rail sector in terms of funding, encouragement in the legislation and so on.”

Okuh added that the bill to unbundle the NRC to allow public-private partnership for the needed investment to develop the sector has gone through the first reading and hopefully will be coming up for a second reading shortly.

However, beyond the immediate needs for appropriate and uninterrupted power supply, the facility on the Lagos-Ibadan route, as well as other corridors nationwide, cannot do speed rail unless perimeter fencing of the tracks is done.

Addressing the speed challenge as raised by the legislators, the NRC Managing Director, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said that although the trains can do over 150 miles per hour once powered by electricity, perimeter fencing of the route is imperative to avoid a large number of deaths from trespassers.

He explained that arrangements were at an advanced stage between the rail contractors and Eko Electricity Distribution Company for power supply, primarily for the Operations Control Centre (OCC), which will coordinate all rail movements across the federation real time.

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