Chidi Ugwu
13 November 2009
As the rail rehabilitation project embarked upon by the Federal Government heightens, the Federal Government has awarded the rehabilitation contract on the 488km Lagos - Jebba rail track to the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company.
Engineer Adeseyi Sijuade, the acting managing director of the Nigerian railway Corporation (NRC) who made this known while receiving the House of Representative committee on Land Transport, added that the signaling facilities for the project had been signed between the government and the company.
He further hinted that the Lagos-Jebba rail track is expected to be completed within 10-month time limit and with the completion of the rehabilitation track and signaling facilities, safely of rail services will be more entrenched as volume of goods and passenger traffic increases.
It could be recalled that the CCECC was contracted to handle the $8.3 billion rail modernization project which was suspended by President Umaru Yar'Adua last year October.
The NRC boss stated that the decision to award the Lagos-Jebba rail line came after a comprehensive condition assessment survey, bill of quantities and work supervision have been done and completed on the Lagos-Kano rail track with a vie to ascertaining areas that would require urgent repair works.
He hinted that the 25 new locomotive engines promised by the Federal Government have been ordered from General Electric, an engineering firm based in United State of America and will be due for delivery to the corporation beginning with the first batch of five locomotives engines by February 2010.
According to him, the remaining 20 locomotive engines is expected to be delivered in batches till December 2010 when delivery will be concluded.
"The locomotive engines will be backed strongly with service support which will guarantee sustainable supply of spare parts consumables and tool for the maintenance of the engines as occasion demands, this effort will ensure stronger motive power base for the corporation as well as attain longevity of life for the locomotive engines" Sijuade said.
Besides, he stated that the contract for the rehabilitation of 120 wagons and coaching facilities has been awarded and by December 2009, the corporation would have attained 75 per cent of rehabilitation work on the wagons and coaching facilities stressing that all the rehabilitation is being vigorously pursued in order to put all 25 locomotive engines to optimum utility when they arrive.
While stating that technical review of all workshops, marshalling yards and stations of the corporation have been completed, the NRC boss added that rehabilitation work has begun on the workshops and marshaling yards with some selected stations and this is also expected to be near completion by December 2009.
On the Ajaokuta-Warri line, Sijuade stated that having completed the bill of quantities, the completion work on 22 km Ajaokuta is about to start and if Julius Berger, the contractor keep to time, as well as the improvement in the security condition of the Niger Delta, it is hoped that work on the 22 km remaining and rehabilitation of the existing 252 km standard gauge line would have been almost completed before the ending of year 2011.
"It is no doubt that the rehabilitation work before us is a daunting one but our engineers, technicians, locomotive engines operators and workers available in the corporation have the capability and knowledge base that correspond with the requirement needed for the Herculean task of rehabilitation and we have resolved that we will maintain our confidence, strength and poise sufficient to take us through the rehabilitation project till e reach our determined goal" he concluded.
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