Lagosians may soon begin to enjoy less traffic congestion and smooth business operations with neighboring states as the railway lines are set to commence operations.
The Lagos Ibadan rail project which had been undergoing reconstruction is near completion with a 312km long double-track standard gauge rail line.
The 1.5 billion-dollar project is the second segment of the new 2,733km Lagos-Kano standard gauge rail project. Nigeria’s transport Minister says skeletal operations may resume in September as initial projections were stalled due to the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic. The facility is expected to be fully operational by the first month of next year.
The China loans obtained to implement this project has stirred a huge controversy, but Nigeria’s Minister of information says the rail project is a visual manifestation of money well spent . When fully operational, the Lagos Ibadan railway line project is expected to have 10 stations with trains operating at a maximum speed of 150km/h.
24 couches are already available to begin operations and are expected to complete 16 trips per day. The modern trains provided have also been designed to ensure passengers comfort and abide by the COVID 19 safety protocols.
