FG to Place Order for More Locomotives

By John Iwori

The Federal Government has said it would place orders for more locomotives in 2015 as part of efforts to modernise rail transport system in the country.
The move is aimed at  arresting the present over dependence on road transport on the haulage of goods and passengers across the country,
Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Audu Umar who dropped the hint in Abuja said the overall objective is to eventually dedicate the standard gauge line to the transportation of goods.
He said that the government was also working hard to complete the ongoing rehabilitation of the narrow gauge line in order to have a complementary rail transport service in the country.

The resolve of the federal government to procure more locomotives is coming on the heels of last week approval of a N1.1 billion contract for the purchase of two modern locomotives for the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge rail line now under construction.
Umar had told State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that the contract was awarded to CNR Darling Locomotives and Rolling Stock Company Limited and CCECC Nigeria Ltd. with a delivery period of 10 months.
 

He said: “The two locomotives are to be used for mass transit services on the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge rail line which is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The scope of work includes the design and manufacturing of two number diesel electric locomotives with a capacity of 2,800 kilowatts for standard gauge tracks; training of 30 personnel of the Nigerian Railway Corporation on operation and maintenance of the locomotives; commissioning and test running in Nigeria, as well as one year maintenance and technical support with two resident technicians”.

Giving an insight into the rehabilitation of the federal government railway modernisation projects, Umar said: “As you are fully aware, government is committed to the revival of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and as I speak to you today, we are working assiduously to see to the completion of the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge line. This is the first batch of the rolling stock that we are acquiring, specifically the locomotives, to be used for the transportation of passengers and indeed freight from Abuja to Kaduna and vice versa”.

Culled from http://www.thisdaylive.com/