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The Nigerian Railway Corporation on Monday announced the introduction of a 24-hour daily freight train shuttle between the Apapa Port and Ebute Meta, Lagos to decongest the seaport and ease traffic around the Apapa axis.
It said the freight train would move containers from the nation’s busiest port, Apapa, to Ebute Meta, where trucks would be waiting to transport them to other parts of Lagos and the country.
The Director of Operations, NRC, Mr. Niyi Ali, gave the indication at a press briefing in Lagos, adding that the new service would commence next week.
There have been complaints about the gridlock on roads leading into and out of Apapa, owing to the heavy presence of trucks waiting to use the seaport, either to pick laden containers or drop empty containers.
Last Friday, while some roads were being rehabilitated at Apapa, there was a long stretch of heavy duty vehicles from the port to Ikorodu Road, denying other road users the use of the expressway, This prompted the Lagos State Government to order the truck operators to vacate the arena until the matter is resolved at a stakeholders’ meeting this week.
Ali said a sound locomotive engine with 20 wagons would be dedicated to the daily Apapa-EBJ freight train shuttle to ensure efficiency of the service.
According to him, the corporation has commenced the construction of another rail line within the NRC yard, while two lines will be dedicated to the Apapa-Ebute Meta service, which is about seven kilometres.
He, however, added that the new operation was different from the existing freight train, moving fertilizer and other items from Lagos to all parts of the state.
Ali confirmed that the service was in response to the hardships being experienced by Nigerian businesses in an attempt to evacuate their containers from the port.
He also said the NRC planned to run between four and five trips of container trains from Apapa to Ebute Meta every day, which could translate to about 100 containers.
“The NRC is investing in infrastructure not just for commercial consideration, but the economic benefit of the nation,” he added.
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