Lagos, Sept. 12, 2023: Nigeria has inaugurated the wagon freight train from Apapa Ports in Lagos to Ibadan, a ceremony performed on Tuesday by Minister of Transportation, Mr Saidu Alkali,
Alkali said at the wagon freight train haulage at APM Terminal, Apapa in Lagos said train would move 90 container cargoes on daily basis.
He said that the freight train for moving cargo would decongest the ports and would also safe shippers from accumulation of demurrages.
Alkali said that the wagon would be passing through the one track adding that the remaining two tracks would be functioning after completion.
“The ministry is going to liaise with the Minister of Finance and the customs concerning the demolition of the scanning centre which is affecting the
completion of the remaining tracks into the ports.
“After laying the two remaining tracks, the cargos will get out of ports respectively and two remaining lines will enter the ports,” Alkali said.
Managing Director Railway, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said wagon would carry 30 freight of containerised cargo on a trip from Lagos to Ibadan.
Okhiria said that the Minister of Transportation had inaugurated the freight movement of cargos to Papalanto and Ibadan.
“We have facilities to move four trips on daily basis but we are starting with three trips, making 90 of the 40ft containers to be moving out of the ports per day.
“We are using now is temporary transitional line, we are making headway to ensure building should give way to make us have the tree line that is slated for this terminal.
“We are ensuring that the operation start so that we don’t give room for vandalization, when the tracks is not in use the it is vulnerable to attack,” Okhiria said.
He said that if the track was used frequently that people would see the value and respect the tracks.
The Managing Director, Bueno Logistics, Mazi Jetson Nwankwo, said that he had been working in ensuring that railway was optimally utilised and decongest the roads.
“Currently we are partnering with the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the terminals operators to help Lagos to decongest its roads from containers trucks.
“The new standard gauge line that has entre APM Terminal is a big deal, it will be Abel to carry at least 60 containers at a go of of Apapa complex, and if we do that everyday, how will you see the containers on the bridges.
“The deal is to move the containers from Apapa port complex to Moniya in Ibadan where we have a very big freight terminal.
”Any truck coming to pick the truck will go to Moniya that will really decongest Lagos,” Nwankwo said.
