Prior to completion of ongoing construction of Lagos to Ibadan standard gauge railway line by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), the federal government has ordered for importation of 30 locomotive engines and 300 wagons that would be used to convey passengers and bulky goods respectively. The minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, who made this known recently at Abeokuta Ogun state, during the monthly assessment of work so far accomplished by the contractor handling the project, said that government had also endorsed the importation of two sets of Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) of 10 coaches each for passengers.

According to him, the importation of the coaches, wagons, locomotive engines and DMU would facilitate carriage of goods and passengers from Lagos to Ibadan when the project was delivered by the contractors. The minister also noted that the carriage of passengers and goods by rail would not have economic impact as it would reduce heavy traffic jam and port congestion respectively. He explained further that locomotive engines, wagons and coaches were not products that can be bought off the shelf, adding that the government has to place orders for it and it takes a period of time before the products were manufactured. Managing director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) , Engr. Fidet Okhiria, also confirmed that “The equipment has been ordered for but we have not yet gone for the inspection.”

https://leadership.ng/2019/01/08/standard-gauge-fg-orders-importation-of-30-engines-300-wagons/