Railways Revisited - The Way Forward - Business - Nairaland
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| Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by KnowAll(m): 7:51pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
I was recently reading the history of the British Railway or Rail roads, from the 1830's onwards quite an intresting read. What I realise about the development of rail roads or railways is we should change tact in Nigeria and tackle railway development on a short distance basis that is we should start looking at the smaller pictures rather than bigger and grand pictures. When u look at the bigger picture u shrivel at the cost involved in embarking on this highly capital intensive investment. Nigeria's six geo political zone would be a very good starting point. The essence should be linking all the major urban areas within those six geo-political zone together in a cacophony and labyrinth of railroads. The primary goal will be profit for the investor, the objective and the role of the state is draw or map out all the potential routes which would be sold to business men as a concessional routes. Where there is money to be made, smart funds will always follow suit in tandem. Let us use the SW as a case sturdy, the SW for example can boast of over 50 towns with a population above 75,000 people, this is a huge minefield for revenue generation, movement of agricultural products and general marchandise. Other business that can develop around the railroad towns are hotels or railroad hotel, eateries, bars, unfortunately brothels, and and shops selling different marchandise. The whole experience and spectacle will generate huge employment and growth across the land. After the 2nd world war, Britain was short of man power, as an immediate solution to solve the problem of lack of direct labour, the goverment of the day decided to go to their colonies especially those colonoies where English was not only the official Language but was the mother tongue to seek manpower. This singularly act, led to the great migration of west indians to Britain in the 1950's, most were hired to man the railroads which had massive and huge gaps in its manpower. The advantage of railroads cannot be over emphasised in the development of any nation, it is a developmental goal which we should endeavour to pursue with a renewed gust and vigour obviously hinged on the most sincere of convictions. Let us have a look at some routes in the SW Marina- Lekki - Epe -Ikorodu-Sagamu-Ijebu Ode-Abeokuta- Ibadan Lagos -Shagamu -Ibadan -fast route Ibadan-oyo-Ogbomosho-iseyin-shaki-Abeokuta-Ota-Agege-Lagos Ibadan-ife -akure-Ondo-Ore-Shagamu Osogbo-ife-Ondo-Akure-Ado-Ekiti Agege-Ota-ifo-Abeokuta-Ibadan-Iwo [b]Let us look at some routes in the SE and SS Enugu-Akwa-Onitsha-Asab Enugu-Akwa-Aba-Owerri-Porthacourt Akwa-Enugu-Nsukka Owerri-Porthacourt- Yenogo-Brass Porthacort-Yenogoa-Warri-Sapale-Benin Benin-Asaba-Onitsha-Enugu PorthHacort-Uyo-Eket-Oron Uyo-Porthacort-Calabar-Ogoja-Obudu Enugu-Abakalili-Ogoja-Calabar Aba-owerri-Porthacourt- Bonny The middle Belt and the North will have two or three pivotal centre in Abuja, Kaduna and Jos. Because North does not have Towns clustered together like in the SW and to some extent the SE and SS, all destination should gravitate towards Abuja and Kaduna and Jos Abuja - Minna- Kebbi-Sokoto Abuja-Ilorin-Offa-Kabba-Lokoja Abuja-Kaduna-Kano-Dutse Kano-Bauchi-Maiduguri Maiduguri-Yola-Makurdi Abuja-Jos-Jalingo-YOLA Abuja-Kaduna-Bauchi-DUtse The most important thing is the six or seven states in each zone should sit down and draw a comprehensive route which will take full advantage of the developmet needs and goals of the whole region, these goals should then be concessionalise based on the drawn out plans, adhererance must be strict. Concessions should also be issued to dedicated lines that will link all the rigions together in one big unify conglomerate. Do we have a development plan at all, that is something that needs to be looked into. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by asha80(m): 8:03pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
We had rail tracks in some towns as at independence and there where trains moving in along those tracks. Whatever happened to them  |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by KnowAll(m): 8:16pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
We had rail tracks in some towns as at independence and there where trains moving in along those tracks. Whatever happened to them That is why it is necessary for the goverment to draw out a comprehensive railroad routes which would be sold as a concession to investors. When we have people like Danjuma who does not know what to spend $500 MILLION DOLLARS on, he could easily invest on some route he feels that he will make money. There are a lot of Nigerians with money that can invest in little short routes, develop them and start making their money. I see this as the way forward rather than wait for goverment for eternity. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by marvix(m): 8:31pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
Quote from Asha We had rail tracks in some towns as at independence and there where trains moving in along those tracks. Whatever happened to them We can't move forward askin those type of questions. The post was well thought out I think the new minister of transport would be advised to work with state govs on how to go abt it don't forget that kaduna has already reactivated some of its rail lines, the FG can partner d states. These are the kind of things we are talking abt, identify probs and proffer workable solutions. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by desgiezd(m): 8:52pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
Now who says Mr. KnowAll can not function effectively as Minister for Transport or betterstill Minister of State for Transport solely in charge of railways. I'm sure the country will benefit immensely from him. Whoever becomes the Minister for Transport will do well to engage you as an adviser or a consultant to the Ministry. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by KnowAll(m): 8:53pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
don't forget that kaduna has already reactivated some of its rail lines, the FG can partner d states. These are the kind of things we are talking abt, identify probs and proffer workable solutions. The Kaduna goverment wanted a fast rail from Kaduna to Abuja. But the FG felt it would not be fair on the other states so for some reason did not encorage their own involvement in this deal. Although they still compensated Kaduna by rejuvenating the old colonial Lagos to Kano route recently. The Kaduna -ABUJA route which is niche route and very profitable route for any will be investors is still up for grabs as the FG is not really intrested in developing this route. It can be develop by private money or the state goverment going public by issue out right offers for the project to take off. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by KnowAll(m): 9:06pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
The problem we have is our minds and the biggest unfortunate of all Yaradua our so called graduate President's mind is still set at pre-colonial Nigeria. Do you know the rail road that ran from Lagos to Nguru, was designed by the colonialist for the trains to get to Nguru and bring the groundnuts to the ports in lagos. It is outdated line of over a 100 years old why is our Mr President launching this obsolate line in the year 2010 for a whooping sum of 4 billion dollars or there about. For goodness sake we are in the year 2010 our goals and development needs are not the same as it was in 1946. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by desgiezd(m): 9:06pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
KnowAll: It is most unfortunate that it is even the FG that is dragging the states back from accelerated development. If Kaduna State is allowed to do this, wouldnt this achievement have encouraged other states to find a way of doing the same? Wouldnt the carnage and armed robbery we experience on our roads daily have reduced, would we have been clamouring for repair of Lagos-Shagam-Ore-Benin road if we had an alternative in the railways? |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by KnowAll(m): 9:14pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
The Bottom line is the FG should hands off railways. All they need to do is draw up a comprehensive master plan for all routes and let private money develop it. I am sure IBB will be itching to bring out his cheque book to develop the Minna - ABUJA ROUTE. Look at what private money has done to the airlines, I travelled by Arik airlines once and it marches any top world airline in its service and the kind of planes they use. This success can be replicated in the railways too. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by edoyad(m): 9:30pm On Mar 25, 2010 |
More than commuter rail services i think rail freight service is of more importance at the moment. A situation where consumables rot away in one part of the country while they cost a fortune elsewhere is senseless. Also the amount of truck accidents on Nigerian roads is frightening. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by X2X(m): 12:06am On Mar 26, 2010 |
edoyad: +1 |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by Nobody: 12:22am On Mar 26, 2010 |
But as at today what is the FG doing about reviving the railways? or are we just talking? |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by paddylo1(m): 1:34am On Mar 26, 2010 |
But as at today what is the FG doing about reviving the railways? or are we just talking?Unfortunately i have no hope for railways in Nigeria except for within cities, or maybe short distances like Abuja - Kaduna I however fee we should invest in roads,long haul trucking, and airports railway is just too expensive,especially for the 21st century bullet trains which we need we dont need to be building no relic standard gauge, thats a joke Anyway Goodluck to u KnowAll |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by KnowAll(m): 9:37pm On Mar 27, 2010 |
In Britain with Mordernisation came changes, the proliferation of Railroads in the 1830's to 1870's came with her own advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was there was a rail road to almost any conceivable route, profit and safety was compromised. It came to a head in the early 1990's after the Hatfield crash. The British goverment changed tack, the railway lines maintainance where seperated from the train operators running on those lines. A new company was now in charge with building, maintaining, and improveing the lines, whilst several other companies where runiing the trains, this new law took a huge burden from train operators. The Nigeria state has 2 important steps the way forward. 1. Draw a comprehensive rail routes for the whole country. 2. Four prong approach in the running of the railways (a) Sell the rail lines to independent companies who will run it - that means they would build the railway line and charge whenever a train runs over them. (b) The goverment can build the railway lines themselves and do the maintaing and charging. (c) Sell the license for the train operators. - just like u have the goverment owing the airports and private people running airlines. (d) Sell an infrastrutural License - this is not done in the uk, but could be introduced in Nigeria because of the huge capital outlay involved in running and operating railways. In the UK the stations in most cases belong to the train operators, I think the UK being a more affluent society it is easier to run it that way. In Nigeria it would be the most sensible thing to do for individuals to plan and develop train station taking advantage of the other businesses that can develop around the station. The aim is to make areas around the stations to be the hubs of smaller towns and communities, rather than the goverment shouldering these responsibilty afflunet sons and daughters from the area can take it as a civil responsibility in contributing to their community. The suggestions above will not cost the goverment a penny, the whole enterprise can be 100% privately funded. I see this as the way forward. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by Kobojunkie: 2:46am On Mar 28, 2010 |
Why discuss Rail as if we have not already had billions sunk into that idea in just 5 years and still nothing to show for all that money? What happened to the rail project signed during Obasanjo's time? What happened to the almost $9 billion dollar contracts doled out by Obasanjo? What did Yar adua and his cabinet do with all those billions? Where in the pipeline is Abuja Metro project right now? |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by udezue(m): 3:01am On Mar 28, 2010 |
I will love to see underground railway lines in my region. hhmmm a rail line across the River Niger?? hhmm uhmm |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by Ikengawo: 5:55pm On Mar 28, 2010 |
Transport is the backbone of all development since egypt to today. Early civilizations only rose from the fact that they were in a geographically advantageous area for transport and as they expanded their ability to transport goods and ppl the prospered and gained great power and development the rail road option in nigeria, like all functional things in nigeria, needs to be taken away from government hands from the get go. I believe the government can offer to day a 40% price grant to anyone that builds a railroad on one of its chosen routes, then draw a map of prospective routes. BUT in order for railroads to be useful in nigeria, agriculture would need to be revived in the north. mining and agriculture carry the rail world. If there is a deficit in both, the rails will rot and by forgotten like last time. they didn't die because of pure carelessness, but because as oil took center stage, they were less necessary and more ignorable. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by KnowAll(m): 7:34pm On Mar 28, 2010 |
Transport is the backbone of all development since egypt to today. Early civilizations only rose from the fact that they were in a geographically advantageous area for transport and as they expanded their ability to transport goods and ppl the prospered and gained great power and development When you have 18 million people cocooned in lagos and another 7 or 8 million of them willing and wanting to travel East on a regular basis, even a clueless investor can see that their is money to be made. The problem we have is our polticians would rather spend a $100 million dollars in sponsoring sectarian violence alas Jos killing fields than seize this mouth watery prospect of making a quick buck. The reason why our politicians have this kind of attitude and mindset is because they are never too far from the till and secondly they have a career in politics that is infinitum. Danjuma a man who physically saw Ironsi and made sure the mission was accomplished is still strutting around in the coridors of power 43 years later. Politicians like Danjuma abounds in the polity, these are men and women who can play at the higest stake in any gambling hall in the world and never live to regret it, the only way the gravy train will come to a halt is when the cold hands of death snatches them or better still the black gold in the delta dries out completely. With these gentlemen ruling the roost we would have to wait for about 2 centuries before we can make a headway. Fortunately the proposal I am putting on the table is a proposal that can be funded by private money not goverment and definately not politician's money all I ask the goverment is draw us a comprehensive rail route map, the delivery, and final execution could be in a 100 years time, at least one can point to the existence of a master plan, let the private sector worry about that. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by oderemo(m): 7:42pm On Mar 28, 2010 |
BUT in order for railroads to be useful in nigeria, agriculture would need to be revived in the north. mining and agriculture carry the rail world. If there is a deficit in both, the rails will rot and by forgotten like last time.in essence rail has one use  . British rail i.e network rail and ors carries millions of ppl everyday.your agric and mining are secondary. |
| Re: Railways Revisited - The Way Forward by Veritas09: 8:21pm On Mar 28, 2010 |
I think it is sad but true -- if the government refuses to provide these things, it will ultimately be the responsibility of the private sector to spur on development. I think you're overestimating how profitable it might be, however: you'll have to pay for maintenance, pay wages, and even if it's privately owned, local politicians will undoubtedly want a "stake". These costs are, in fact, the very reason that the government usually takes care of these things. |
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