By Fidelis Ugbomeh
Members House of Representatives Committee On Land Transportation recently paid an oversight visit to Headquarters of Nigerian Railway Corporation, in Lagos with a view to addressing shortcomings through required legislation.
First point of visit was Running Shed (Workshop) and newly constructed Alex Ekueme Control Tower at Ebute-Metta Junction built for repair/maintenance of narrow gauge Locomotive engines and monitoring/regulation of train traffic on standard gauge railway line respectively.
The entourage also visited Wagon Assembly plant, Kajola before taking a -314 kilometres seamless train ride from Lagos to Ibadan and back.
Alighting from the train at Obafemi Awolowo Terminal (Moniya), Ibadan, members of the committee expressed satisfaction over operation of standard gauge train service along the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway corridor.
Chairman, House Committee on Land Transportation Hon. Blessing Onyeche Onuh who led other members on the visit commended China Civil Engineering Construction Corporateion, CCECC and management of NRC for the ongoing modernization of the corporation.
According to her, purpose of the visit was to identify challenges, budgetory requirements and appropriation to address the problems.
While commending CCECC, for construction of Kajola Wagon Assembly plant and Dr, Alex Ekueme Control Tower under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, she called for employment of indigenous engineers and members of the Adumbu community in Kajola.
She however expressed concerns about the near inactivity at the Wagon Assembly Plant and Alex Ekueme Control Tower with only few wagons/workers on site even as the Control Tower for monitoring and regulation of traffic was not yet operational.
Onuh also observed that the corporation still maintains and operates the narrow gauge railway lines instead of investing in electric trains in line with global standards
Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engr. Fidet Okhiria in his remarks said the policy of government is to sustain the existing narrow gauge railway line while developing the standard gauge alongside.
He stated that the existing standard gauge railway lines were constructed with cognisance that electric trains could also be operated on the tracks (through alignment) in the near future just as the newly constructed overpasses are built with enough headroom for the electric trains to operate when introduced in near future.
Okhiria also disclosed that Installation of equipment for monitoring and regulation of train traffic on standard gauge railway line throughout the country at Alex Ekueme Control Tower in Lagos has been completed awaiting integration of sources of power supply.
He posited that the contractor handling all standard gauge railway line projects: China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, is working round the clock to ensure that electricity supply from Power Holding Company of Nigeria, (PHCN) and Independent Power Supply sources are integrated to ensure seamless change of power supply source whenever there is power failure.
According to him, “the central and unit traffic control rooms at EBJ and other railway terminals were built to monitor and regulate movement of trains throughout the standard gauge railway corridor requires constant electricity once it begins full operations”.
The managing director declared that presently the corporation with technical assistance from CCECC is utilising audio to monitor and regulate train traffic along all the standard gauge railway corridors pending integration of power source especially on the Mile 2 to Marina standard gauge railway corridor which is powered through independent power source.
“integration of power supply sources is very imperative because power supply to the central control tower and units at train terminals must be steady otherwise there will be train accidents if traffic is not properly regulated due to power failure
“When fully completed well trained traffic controllers will monitor and regulate train movement from one terminal to another from the central control room,” Okhiria stressed
He pointed out that after integration of the sources of power, train traffic along the Lagos-Ibadan, Mile 2-Marina, Abuja-Kaduna, Warri-Itakpe standard gauge corridors and other future track extensions will be monitored and regulated from central and unit control rooms.
On the Kajola Wagons Assembly plant, Okhiria disclosed that the 220 wagons booked for assembly by Federal government has been assembled and deployed while awaiting supply of another batch of Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) parts from China.
He noted that some youths sent to China to acquire technical/engineering skill have returned to Nigeria and will soon be redeployed for additional on the job training before full employment.
Okhiria also said that about 40 members of Kajola community have acquired skill in painting, fabrication and welding and are gainfully employed at the Kajola Assembly plant.
About the scanty number of workers at the assembly plant during the oversight visit the NRC boss told the lawmakers that some workers were redeployed to other sites pending when Semi-Knocked Down parts are imported.
“Wagons are not products assembled and kept for orders to be placed by buyers but orders and part payments are first placed and made respectively before commencement of assembly work,” he said.
The MD stated further that the corporation is looking at the possibility of marketing the open roof and covered wagons assembled at Kajola Assembly plant for evacuation of cargoes along the Kano-Maradi standard gauge railway corridor when completed.
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