$823m Abuja metro rail ready by December, says contractor
AUGUST 22, 2017

China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) says the phase one of Abuja Rail Mass Transit Project will be commissioned by December. The Project Manager, Mr Kong Tao, said this while addressing newsmen who were on tour of the site at Idu, Abuja, on Tuesday. Tao said that the rail transit, which cost 823 million dollars (about N299 billion), consisted of lots 1A and 3, covering 45km with 12 designed passengers’ stations. ”The rail linked the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to the Central Business District. ”The line of the rail mass transit is double-track line of right side running, and standard-gauge is 1435mm. ”Work on the large scale project is going on smoothly,” he said. According to him, it will be test-run by November and will be commissioned for public usage in December. He said that the project, after completion, would generate employment and boost the commercial activities of the host communities. “Abuja rail mass transit project is bound to accelerate the growth of national economy. ”The realisation of this large scale project will definitely deliver much benefits to the general public, such as better investment environment. ”It will also enhance better living condition, more employment, land value enhancement, energy saving and greater social responsibility,” he said. Tao, however, expressed concern about the vandalism of the rail facilities of the company. “Despite the presence of security personnel, thieves still operate on weekly basis,” he said. He said that host communities often destroyed the perimeter fencing built to prevent trespassing on the rail track. ”This endangers lives as operational trains move constantly on the rail track. “Safety is the most important thing in our operation. Even though we built fence to prevent trespass, they break it to cross the rail rack,” he said. NAN

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/08/823m-abuja-metro-rail-ready-december-says-contractor/

nice one, thanks to our previous government.

That would be great. I hope this government would give credit where it's due

Great

ritababe:
nice one, thanks to our previous government.

What about the current Govt??

Remember to thank the previous Govt for the recession too..

deji17:

What about the current Govt??
Remember to thank the previous Govt for the recession too..

current government caused recession.

When will it head to other zones? More of that pls.

ritababe:


current government caused recession.

Rita, how you no come dey tell the truth now? Na so you go dey do if your bae leave you soup money, you go tell people say him no give you shi shi.

Mouth action government

ritababe:
nice one, thanks to our previous government.

The Buharists will dwell on you o.....hmm

leofab:
Mouth action government

Mouth action? Hmmmm

ReubenE:

The Buharists will dwell on you o.....hmm

Wetin Buharists do you?

deji17:


Wetin Buharists do you?

Dem don declare me enemy of state several times o

ReubenE:

Dem don declare me enemy of state several times o

Don't worry. Na all of us waka come.

ritababe:


current government caused recession.

Naaah, d previous govt did, over 10 countries are presently in recession and about 7 of dem are oil producing countries. Those countries made so much monies from oil boom but dey had terrible leaders @ dat time dat wasted/looted their monies. Nigeria happens to be among those countries and GEJ was in power den: d Deziani, Dansuki revelations are mind blowing. U forgot dat GEJ left over 26 states totally broke dat dey cud not pay their workers even @ Federal level dey borrowed to pay salaries as soon as d price of crude oil fell. Countries like Nigeria, Venezeula, Angola, Brazil were unlucky with their leaders during d oil boom and dat is y dey are all in recession. PMB has tried so far, he has bailed out those states workers, we now produce our own rice, Fashola is working hard to improve power n roads, N-power has helped thousands of youth and so on.
If not for sentiment/religious/ethnic intolerant, u guys wud have noticed dat God has saved us from further damage by giving us PMB. Our case wud have been like Venezueala @ d rate GEJ was going with his careless looting.
And about d topic, govt. is continum, PMB has so far continued to work on those genuine/impactful project dat GEJ govt started, d over bloated cost has been reviewed and work is on progress. I wish Wike will leave politics of bitterness and finish d light rail project dat Amechi started cos d pple of rivers are d ones to benefit from dat project.

Godbless GEJ

ReubenE:
The Buharists will dwell on you o.....hmm

I know

agbangam:



Naaah, d previous govt did, over 10 countries are presently in recession and about 7 of dem are oil producing countries. Those countries made so much monies from oil boom but dey had terrible leaders @ dat time dat wasted/looted their monies. Nigeria happens to be among those countries and GEJ was in power den: d Deziani, Dansuki revelations are mind blowing. U forgot dat GEJ left over 26 states totally broke dat dey cud not pay their workers even @ Federal level dey borrowed to pay salaries as soon as d price of crude oil fell. Countries like Nigeria, Venezeula, Angola, Brazil were unlucky with their leaders during d oil boom and dat is y dey are all in recession. PMB has tried so far, he has bailed out those states workers, we now produce our own rice, Fashola is working hard to improve power n roads, N-power has helped thousands of youth and so on.
If not for sentiment/religious/ethnic intolerant, u guys wud have noticed dat God has saved us from further damage by giving us PMB. Our case wud have been like Venezueala @ d rate GEJ was going with his careless looting.
And about d topic, govt. is continum, PMB has so far continued to work on those genuine/impactful project dat GEJ govt started, d over bloated cost has been reviewed and work is on progress. I wish Wike will leave politics of bitterness and finish d light rail project dat Amechi started cos d pple of rivers are d ones to benefit from dat project.

oh really? so you mean banning of imported goods from other countries did not have any effect on us?

December...201?

ritababe:


oh really? so you mean banning of imported goods from other countries did not have any effect on us?

How will banning of imported goods help grow you own economy ? Do you have any idea how much Nigeria will be spending on just rice if we still import over 90% against the production of the product in Nigeria.

What about the tomatoes ? Do you have any idea what the value chain of local production does to one's economy ? Do you know that with the right polices in place Nigeria having accomplished 100% local consumption can not start exporting locally produced rice and tomato paste to earn Forex from neighboring African countries instead of wasting Forex earned from crude oil on such frivolities ?

I presume you do not know please find out what the advantage of locally produced goods are before doing your girl talk ibeg.

ritababe:


current government caused recession.

This post is proof of poor education.
GEJ caused the recession. We are not lying when we say it. Don't worry he was not as stupid as the leaders of Venezuela and Angola. Even Russia was very stupid. Nigeria has partially restructured but most oil producing countries will pay a high price for over dependence on oil and corruption.

Just look at the massive cost inflation.
Surface rail tracks usually cost between $3m to $5m per km, so you'd expect a 45km rail track to cost thereabouts $135m to $225m. This is costing almost $900m. Are there any leaders in the world that despise their own people more than Nigerian leaders?

Obi1kenobi:
Just look at the massive cost inflation.
Surface rail tracks usually cost between $3m to $5m per km, so you'd expect a 45km rail track to cost thereabouts $135m to $225m. This is costing almost $900m. Are there any leaders in the world that despise their own people more than Nigerian leaders?

Bros, what is the basis for you cost comparison? Do you have a template or global chart that validate your cost per KM? Did you factor in compensation cost to existing land owners? It is good to work off a reference point.

ritababe:


oh really? so you mean banning of imported goods from other countries did not have any effect on us?

my God how old are you??

deji17:


Bros, what is the basis for you cost comparison? Do you have a template or global chart that validate your cost per KM? Did you factor in compensation cost to existing land owners? It is good to work off a reference point.

Read this article from BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40171095
The Kenyan government received plenty of criticism for building a 472km rail line connecting Nairobi and Mombasa for $3.2billion. The track itself costs $5.6m per km which according to the BBC is three times the international standards and four times the initial projection of the Kenyan government. There were several allegations of corruption leveled at those involved in the project. Ethiopia build a fully electrified (which are usually more expensive) 756km line between Addis Ababa and Djibouti for just $3.4 billion. These projects are situated around important cities (Nairobi, Mombasa, Addis Ababa etc) so I'm sure they also had to pay for land compensation and all that. Not to mention, most of the land between the Abuja airport and CBD were unoccupied. What could possibly make a 45km rail line cost well over $800m? Let's start calling out these frauds and scammers for what they are.

Nigeria's projects are always massively inflated. I've made these same points about the costs of our roads, bridges, power plants under construction etc. There is little value for money because the government officials and contractors choose to utilize most of the money appropriated for projects to line their pockets.

Obi1kenobi:


Read this article from BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40171095
The Kenyan government received plenty of criticism for building a 472km rail line connecting Nairobi and Mombasa for $3.2billion. The track itself costs $5.6m per km which according to the BBC is three times the international standards and four times the initial projection of the Kenyan government. There were several allegations of corruption leveled at those involved in the project. Ethiopia build a fully electrified (which are usually more expensive) 756km line between Addis Ababa and Djibouti for just $3.4 billion. These projects are situated around important cities (Nairobi, Mombasa, Addis Ababa etc) so I'm sure they also had to pay for land compensation and all that. Not to mention, most of the land between the Abuja airport and CBD were unoccupied. What could possibly make a 45km rail line cost well over $800m? Let's start calling out these frauds and scammers for what they are.

Nigeria's projects are always massively inflated. I've made these same points about the costs of our roads, bridges, power plants under construction etc. There is little value for money because the government officials and contractors choose to utilize most of the money appropriated for projects to line their pockets.

Bro, your concern is not out of place, they are valid in a country like ours where corruption remains the capital and source of income for many individuals, plus we learn everyday.

In reality, the cost of constructing the rail lines vary significantly from one project to the other for various reasons.
Here is a link to an old article discussing the different cost for standard gauge rail lines. Also note that the Abuja metropolis rail line total distance is 78 km, which puts the average to about $10M /KM. Without specifics of the project (Bridges, soil condition, houses and land compensation, number of passenger stations etc) , it will be difficult to conclude that the cost has been inflated and this is not to say that they have not been.
Also, note that these are projects that the current admin inherited with some of the negotiations completed prior to the new admin.

http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/2010/08/real-cost-of-chinese-railway.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abuja_Light_Rail

deji17:


Bro, your concern is not out of place, they are valid in a country like ours where corruption remains the capital and source of income for many individuals, plus we learn everyday.

In reality, the cost of constructing the rail lines vary significantly from one project to the other for various reasons.
Here is a link to an old article discussing the different cost for standard gauge rail lines. Also note that the Abuja metropolis rail line total distance is 78 km, which puts the average to about $10M /KM. Without specifics of the project (Bridges, soil condition, houses and land compensation, number of passenger stations etc) , it will be difficult to conclude that the cost has been inflated and this is not to say that they have not been.
Also, note that these are projects that the current admin inherited with some of the negotiations completed prior to the new admin.

http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/2010/08/real-cost-of-chinese-railway.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abuja_Light_Rail

If you look at the Kenyan project, it absolutely outclasses the Abuja rail in every way. There are far more stations and terminals constructed (and the Nairobi and Mombasa main terminals look like international airports), there are more bridges and tunnels running through more difficult terrain than Abuja, the carriages deployed on the line are of world class standard with first class cabins and service, restaurants etc. The soil type of Abuja, like most Northern territories is hardly challenging to construct on unlike the South of Nigeria. And I've already pointed out I can't imagine how Nairobi (a bigger, more populated city than Abuja) wouldn't similarly have to pay compensations for land. Please, find pictures online of the Kenyan project and be amazed at the scale and sophistication of it.

However we put it, there is no reason for the Abuja project to cost as much as the Kenyan or Ethiopian one. But it not only costs as much and costs more, it blows the cost of those superior projects out of the water. It's either a case of typically obscene corruption or the government were extremely incompetent in negotiating the deal and the Chinese (who also built the Kenyan and Ethiopian projects) made complete mugus of us.

Also worth noting I'm not blaming this administration. It's a systemic flaw that pervades every administration.

ritababe:


oh really? so you mean banning of imported goods from other countries did not have any effect on us?

Please go to romance section, you will do better there.

Change... We voted for
Gbam.....

Obi1kenobi:
Just look at the massive cost inflation.
Surface rail tracks usually cost between $3m to $5m per km, so you'd expect a 45km rail track to cost thereabouts $135m to $225m. This is costing almost $900m. Are there any leaders in the world that despise 07018180624their own people more than Nigerian leaders?

I don't think this is just about the rail tracks, the cost covers the entire project.

ayokellany:


How will banning of imported goods help grow you own economy ? Do you have any idea how much Nigeria will be spending on just rice if we still import over 90% against the production of the product in Nigeria.

What about the tomatoes ? Do you have any idea what the value chain of local production does to one's economy ? Do you know that with the right polices in place Nigeria having accomplished 100% local consumption can not start exporting locally produced rice and tomato paste to earn Forex from neighboring African countries instead of wasting Forex earned from crude oil on such frivolities ?

I presume you do not know please find out what the advantage of locally produced goods are before doing your girl talk ibeg.

na this long grammar dey make us dey were we dey,talk talk......

Obi1kenobi:


Read this article from BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40171095
The Kenyan government received plenty of criticism for building a 472km rail line connecting Nairobi and Mombasa for $3.2billion. The track itself costs $5.6m per km which according to the BBC is three times the international standards and four times the initial projection of the Kenyan government. There were several allegations of corruption leveled at those involved in the project. Ethiopia build a fully electrified (which are usually more expensive) 756km line between Addis Ababa and Djibouti for just $3.4 billion. These projects are situated around important cities (Nairobi, Mombasa, Addis Ababa etc) so I'm sure they also had to pay for land compensation and all that. Not to mention, most of the land between the Abuja airport and CBD were unoccupied. What could possibly make a 45km rail line cost well over $800m? Let's start calling out these frauds and scammers for what they are.

Nigeria's projects are always massively inflated. I've made these same points about the costs of our roads, bridges, power plants under construction etc. There is little value for money because the government officials and contractors choose to utilize most of the money appropriated for projects to line their pockets.

Like I wrote earlier, it is important that we are comparing apple to apple. The Ethiopian metro line (Light Rail Transit), cost is actually comparable to the Abuja metro line.

The cost of the Ethiopian Metro rail is about $475 M, with one way length of 17 km and about 32 km both lanes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa_Light_Rail


Abuja light rail project 90% completed – Minister
March 13, 2017

The FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, said on Monday that work on Abuja light rail project has reached 90 per cent, as most of the rail stations are at their finishing stages.
The minister made this known after his inspection of the project site in Abuja.
Mr. Bello said there are 13 railway bridges, 50 culverts, 15 flyover bridges and 9 pedestrian overpasses and bridges that are all 100 per cent completed.
The minister said the total length of the rail double track laid is 45.245 kilometres, thereby making it 100 per cent completed.
According to him, out of the total 12 rail stations under construction, 10 are at advanced stages with painting and installation of mechanical and electrical works currently in progress.
“The remaining two are being fast tracked, thereby making the entire stations 85 per cent completed,’’ he said.
The minister said that the locomotive and rolling stock depot is 85 per cent completed, while communication and signaling are also 85 per cent completed.
“The percentage progress of work on the power supply is, however, 20 per cent but adequate progress would be achieved soon,” he said.
He said that due to the importance the present administration attached to the rail project, the FCTA would work assiduously to complete the project and make it operational as planned.


He said that his administration was determined to assuage the difficulties currently being experienced by commuters in the territory, adding that this explained why rapid attention is given to the project.
Mr. Bello also directed that CCECC, the company handling the project, to ensure that qualified Nigerians not Chinese are employed for the management of the rail service, since over 1,000 personnel are expected to be employed.
The minister also embarked on a rail ride from the Abuja Metro Station behind the Abuja World Trade Centre at the Central Business District to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
(NAN)

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/north-central/226024-abuja-light-rail-project-90-completed-minister.html