FGN Inaugurates Freight Train Haulage Services to Ibadan… Activities will decongest ports and safe accumulation of demurrages- Alkali

Oru Leonard 

Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Alkali, has said that the inauguration of the wagon freight train from Apapa Ports to Ibadan would move 90 container cargoes on daily basis.

Alkali made the disclosure during the inauguration of the wagon freight train haulage at APM Terminal, Apapa in Lagos Tuesday.

He said that the freight train for moving cargo would decongest the ports and would also safe shippers from accumulation of demurrages.

“The ministry is going to liaise with the Minister of Finance and the customs concerning the demolition of the scanning centre which is affecting the completion of the remaining tracks into the ports.

“After laying the two remaining tracks, the cargos will get out of ports respectively and two remaining lines will enter the ports,” Alkali said.

Managing Director Railway, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said wagon would carry 30 freight of containerized cargo on a trip from Lagos to Ibadan.

Okhiria said that the Minister of Transportation had inaugurated the freight movement of cargos to Papalanto and Ibadan.

“We are using now is temporary transitional line, we are making headway to ensure building should give way to make us have the tree line that is slated for this terminal.

“We are ensuring that the operation start so that we don’t give room for vandalization, when the tracks is not in use it is vulnerable to attack,” Okhiria said.

He said that if the track was used frequently that people would see the value and respect the tracks.

The Managing Director, Bueno Logistics, Mazi Jetson Nwankwo, said that he had been working in ensuring that railway was optimally utilised in order to  decongest the roads.

“Currently we are partnering with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the terminals operators to help Lagos to decongest its roads from containers trucks.

“The new standard gauge line that has entre APM Terminal is a big deal, it will be able to carry at least 60 containers at ago off Apapa complex, and “if we do that everyday, how will you see the containers on the bridges?”

“The deal is to move the containers from Apapa port complex to Moniya in Ibadan where we have a very big freight terminal.

The Ministriel Inspection on Tuesday was from Mobilaji Johnson train station to Kajola.