FG okays remedial work on damaged Lagos-Ibadan railway
The Federal Government has allayed fears that the recent damage done to the new Lagos-Ibadan railway will affect the September delivery date of the rail line.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Sabiu Zakari, said the contractor handling the project, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, would deliver the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line on schedule.
He spoke at Papalanto in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Friday, after an inspection of the project.
He said the inspection was informed by the occurrence of a slight earth tremor at the Kilometre 200 of the rail line in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done by the CCECC on the project
Those on the inspection team included the Chairman, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Ibrahim Alhassan, and the NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria.
Zakari said they were satisfied with the remedial work being done to ensure that the integrity of the project was protected and the quality of work not compromised.
‘’There was a tremor that affected the side of the tracks and the contractor has taken remedial steps which have been approved by our consultants and engineers,’’ he said.
He said the remedial work being taken at the spot of the tremor was not at any extra cost to the Federal Government.
According to him, the development is part of contingencies already built into the project.
The NRC chairman, Alhassan, also said some adjustments were being made to the project, citing the instance of the Abeokuta station where the lift was being changed to accommodate an escalator in view of the anticipated high passenger traffic on the route.
He said the team had gone to visit the spot of the tremor, the Abeokuta station and the work yard.
The NRC MD, Okhiria, in an interview said the rail tracks had been completed to kilometre 157.
He added that commercial activities would commence on the new rail line in October this year.
Source: Punch
