5 Things you should know about the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line

Until recently, rail as a means of transportation has been abandoned, with focus shifted to either the air and land.

Besides safety, the rail has the capacity to carry more people and goods -- raw materials, especially -- from one place to another.

The Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line was expected to transport goods -- steal from Ajaokuta and food stuff from the South – to other parts of the country.

The project was later abandoned due to alleged corruption as funds earmarked for the rail-line were "diverted to private pockets."

Thirty-five years later, the Muhammadu Buhari administration began taking steps to complete the project.

was on a tour of the of the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line with the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Friday, July 27, 2018.

Here are five important things you should know about the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line.

1. 12 Train stations

The Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri has a total of 12 modern stations with two located between Itakpe and Ajaokuta, while are located between Ajaokuta and Warri, Delta state.

They station include Itakpe station, Eganiy Station and Adobe Station, all located within Itakpe, and Ajaokuta Station.

Others are; Itogbo, Age Ebode, Uromu, Egehen, Igbanke, Agbor, Abraka, Okpara and Ujewu Stations.

Agbor station has been completed while construction work is ongoing at the others.

2. Project costs $200 million

Addressing journalists at the Agbor station, the Minister said the government was funding the revival of the project at a cost of about $200 million.

Maintenance of the tracks, construction of train stations, importation of train coaches etc all covered.

Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is handling the project.

3. Commissioning in September 2018

Amaechi says the project would be commissioned for commercial activities in September 2018.

“While we cannot be sure when this line would be commissioned by Mr President, as a result of the fact that the stations are not yet in place, we are happy that the line has been stabilised and we could commence activity on it by September after more test runs would have been carried out on it”, he said.

Amaechi sais the project was eighty percent complete.

ALSO READ: Buhari will win Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi even on a sick bed, says Amaechi

The minister, however, dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the commissioning of the project was for political reasons.

“You see, when the government does not do this, Nigerians will say it has failed but now that the job is almost done and we’re talking about commissioning, some people are saying it’s because of 2019,” he said.

“Imagine the lives that would have been saved from road accident, imagine the time and money saved and so on.

“We must stop seeing everything through the lens of politics. Else, we will not appreciate the importance of these projects,” the minister advised.

4. More employment opportunities

“Right now, there are Nigerians working to revive this project. More Nigerians would be employed to maintain the trains, the crew members and so on,” the minister said.

He explained that the project would further open up the areas to commercial activities which were not possible due to the cost of moving goods from one place to the other by other means of transportation.

5. Less pressure on roads

When fully in operation, the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line would reduce the pressure on roads as it would provide for a cheaper means of transportation.

Rail is relatively safer as well.

It’s far more comfortable than regular buses on the roads.

It took approximately ten hours from Itakpe to Warri on the train including stops by the Minister to inspect the level of work at the stations.

The Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line currently has seven coaches (VIP and regular) which can carry over five hundred Nigerians per trip.

The minister assured that modalities are already in place for the maintenance of the rail line and trains.

Amaechi noted that like the Kaduna-Abuja rail line, the fares would be affordable for the ordinary Nigerian.

The minister disclosed that plans are in place to connect the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line to Abuja for more commercial activities.