Nigerians who often feel unsafe in Nigeria’s airspace and yet cannot endure a nine-hour road trip between Lagos and Abuja, have received cheery news from the federal government who announced the planned take-off of a three-hour high-speed train project between the two cities. Announcing this in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, disclosed the federal government’s partnership arrangements with private firms within and outside Nigeria towards the commencement of the project.

According to Umar who also said the Abuja-Kaduna rail project would commence full operation next month, the federal government equally carried out a number of feasibility studies with the plan to construct more standard gauge lines across the country.

He disclosed that the government had also successfully completed feasibility studies in seven new corridors including, the Abuja-Lagos high speed train adding that different private firms within and outside Nigeria have expressed interests in the project. The project, largely expected to be private sector-driven, according Umar, would formally take-off in 2018,

“The consultants who carried out the feasibility studies have submitted their reports. Part of the report contains the involvement of the private sector to drive the project. This is because we want to develop these lines under a public, private partnership (PPP) arrangements.

“We have already received a lot of expression of interests even ahead of advertisement for the purpose from various companies in the country and indeed, in other countries of the world.

“The idea is that, if we have this in place, the trains can move from Abuja to Lagos and from Lagos to Abuja in a maximum of three hours. We are intending to compete favourably with other transportation systems in carrying passengers from Abuja to Lagos.

“When fully actualised, a train will leave Abuja to Lagos and Lagos to Abuja, every hour. The feasibility studies had been completed. The trains will start running within the next three years, say by 2018.”

He further explained that the federal government had completed the rehabilitation of western rail lines through the administration’s revivalist strategy in the rail transport sector, insisting that Jonathan’s government is working towards the completion of the eastern line.

He said: “At the moment, the trains are moving from Port Harcourt all the way to Gombe - a distance of over 1, 000 kilometres but as soon as the security situation improves around Borno State, we will complete the line from Gombe to Maiduguri.

“While that is going on, we have constructed the standard gauge from Abuja to Kaduna. We have completed the laying of the track and very soon, President Goodluck Jonathan will inaugurate it and by March this year, we are going to commence full operation on that line.

“We have placed orders for the procurement of locomotives and coaches that we are going to deploy on the track. It is a standard gauge. The trains can move on an average speed of 150 kilometres per hour.

“That means that in a maximum of one and half hours, you can leave Kaduna for Abuja and from Abuja to Kaduna by rail. It is the first standard gauge to be completed fully in the whole of West Africa.”

Watch Youtube video of the Rail Modernisation Masterplan below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_QsDmtU2ms

will this be ready in 6 weeks or not?

supoade:
will this be ready in 6 weeks or not?

I have not seen 6 weeks being mentioned anywhere in the video.

In any case, would you reasonably expect anyone to modernize a rail system abandoned over the years by successive governments, and add thousands of kilometers of new tracks to previously unconnected towns in 6 weeks? That video, gave a timeline of 25 years to complete current plans.

Timeline for the Abuja-Lagos link was given by the Minister as 3 years (2018).

We have to make an effort to start.

And people still don't see anythinG good in GEJ.
Somee people are myopic

I no go still vote for them....
if u like modernize my papa house...
#march4buhari

Nigeria will make it
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwvrhwDBefo

spinna:
Nigeria will make it
...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwvrhwDBefo

This must be the new Gombe track and coaches, which were commissioned, ironically, by Gov Dankwabo. Emir of Gombe and other dignitaries were in attendance

skaksuzzy:
I no go still vote for them....
if u like modernize my papa house...
#march4buhari

You have said it all.
So this election is not about achievement and issues. It is driven by sentiments and hate, which is rather sad.

skaksuzzy:
I no go still vote for them....
if u like modernize my papa house...
#march4buhari

U won't vote For him, but u will vote for somebody that forged certificate , somebody whose religion Forbids wEstern deVeLopment.

Greater things will continually happen in Nigeria. I believe in the Nigerian dream too. And i key into it, for posterity.


Continuity, We chant continuously.

In 16 years Pdp can only rehabilitate"narrow gauge " rail lines.......... And built a few kilometers of standard gauge rail lines...........smh

trains that move on narrow gauge are no longer produced so what happens next to our rail tracks that gej is so proud to have rehabilitated,

when the world is moving to electric trains, we are still proudly importing locomotive engines which are no longer used in advanced countries


before gejites start screaming about what I expect gej to do with the tracks, that goes to show how clueless he is........ We really need change


especially now that jega has joined the change movement now that he has changed the date of elections


sai Buhari


CHANGE

Rollingsbaba:
........ We really need change

[size=14pt]especially now that jega has joined the change movement[/size]

sai Buhari

Oh! Really.
This is quite revealing to know that INEC Chairman is part of the Change Movement!!

The people are watching

malele:



U won't vote For him, but u will vote for somebody that forged certificate , somebody whose religion Forbids wEstern deVeLopment.

Something is clearly wrong with you. Where is your evidence that anybody forged a certificate and which religion is against Western development? Have you ever been to Dubai, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt or even Saudi Arabia? Are those people not Muslims? Are they not more developed than Nigeria? Anuofia!

No. GEJ is covering his tracks. He's the true boko haram sponsor.


Watch him suddenly discover "new otuoke-made evidence" to link boko haram to Buhari in the next few weeks.

Like supoade said. If they can complete the project in 6wks I may consider and probably join others to plead with the General to allow GEJ to customize his cell in kirikiri. Nonsense bunch of dullards.

skaksuzzy:
I no go still vote for them....
if u like modernize my papa house...
#march4buhari

Then secede must you remain in the same country with the man, if you do not like him no matter what he does then opt out he will not stop you

I hope this work in time

GEJ man of the people

How am i supposed to feel about this, at dis moment All i knw is March4buhari

Great March for Buhari

Transformation, its ironic wen the man contesting Gej stopped dis kinda project in his time.

malele:



U won't vote For him, but u will vote for somebody that forged certificate , somebody whose religion Forbids wEstern deVeLopment.

Stop spewing trash.... Mr Buhari may not fancy western education...... His religion does not forbid it.

Rollingsbaba:
In 16 years Pdp can only rehabilitate"narrow gauge " rail lines.......... And built a few kilometers of standard gauge rail lines...........smh

trains that move on narrow gauge are no longer produced so what happens next to our rail tracks that gej is so proud to have rehabilitated,

when the world is moving to electric trains, we are still proudly importing locomotive engines which are no longer used in advanced countries


before gejites start screaming about what I expect gej to do with the tracks, that goes to show how clueless he is........ We really need change


especially now that jega has joined the change movement now that he has changed the date of elections


sai Buhari


CHANGE

That's why that ur jega will be sacKed soon

I thought it was a COMMISSIONING then I realized that it was a COMMENCEMENT of the project. Actually, not. It is a PLAN to commence the project.

.

white elephant project don't start what you can't complete

Rollingsbaba:
In 16 years Pdp can only rehabilitate"narrow gauge " rail lines.......... And built a few kilometers of standard gauge rail lines...........smh

trains that move on narrow gauge are no longer produced so what happens next to our rail tracks that gej is so proud to have rehabilitated,

when the world is moving to electric trains, we are still proudly importing locomotive engines which are no longer used in advanced countries


before gejites start screaming about what I expect gej to do with the tracks, that goes to show how clueless he is........ We really need change


especially now that jega has joined the change movement now that he has changed the datHe of elections


sai Buhari


CHANGE

what has apc\ac done in 16yrs in its area of influence.. aside enriching tinubu wth tax and properties?

Pot calling kettle black

Just like the privatization of NEPA/PHCN, this is another fraud from the GEJ administration claiming glory for what Obj started.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6101736.stm
Last Updated: Tuesday, 31 October 2006, 10:03 GMT

China is to build a railway line between Nigeria's two main commercial cities, Lagos and Kano.
An $8bn contract was signed by the deputy transport minister and the president of the Chinese firm (CCECC).

CCECC President Lin Rongxin said 50,000 Nigerians would work on the 1,315km line which he said was "a design, construct and maintain project".

Nigeria's leader said the five-year north-south line was the first phase in a 20-year modernisation programme.

President Olusegun Obasanjo, who watched the signing, said the second phase of the railway project would include a link between the southern oil city of Port Harcourt and the central city of Jos.

The existing railway along these routes has fallen into disrepair and new tracks are to be built under the deal with China.

China recently granted Nigeria a loan of $2.5bn and much of this is expected to be used in the railway project.

Earlier this year Nigeria repaid a multi-billion dollar debt it owed to the Paris Club, becoming the first African nation to settle with its official lenders.

Nigeria is one of the world's biggest oil exporters, but it is also one of the world's poorest countries, with the majority of the population living on less than $1 per day.

Good developmemt

Whilst they are busy shouting clueless,Gej is busy working . Even the egoats are fully aware that Gej is the best president Nigeria ever had.

Jealousy + hatred + violence = APC