In a bid to decongest the roads of container-laden trailers, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it will commence haulage of containers from Lagos to Kaduna and Kano States in August.
Similarly, the corporation said its third weekly passenger train service from Lagos to Kano would begin on Thursday.
Mr David Ndakotsu, NRC’s Head of Public Relations Department, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos that arrangements had been concluded to transport containers from APM Terminals at Apapa Port to container depots in Kaduna and Kano.
“As from August, we will start the haulage of containers from APM Terminals in Apapa Port to the container depots of Inland Container Nigeria Ltd. in Kaduna and Kano States.
“The initiative is in furtherance of the corporation’s public-private partnership.’’
Ndakotsu also said an agreement had been signed with a company for the weekly haulage of its bran and wheat flour from Lagos to Kaduna– under the programme.
“About 436 tonnes of the products are expected to be freighted weekly from Apapa to Kaduna.
“The service will commence before the end of July,’’ the NRC spokesman added.
On the third weekly Lagos-Kano passenger train service, Ndakotsu said the train would depart Lagos at 11.00 a.m. every Thursday with arrival time of 5.00 p.m. in Kano the following day.
He said with the additional service, the number of passengers to be moved on the route would increase from 3,500 to 5,500.
“It is anticipated that the third weekly train service will help to decongest existing services and avail passengers more comfortable and pleasant trips,’’ Ndakotsu told NAN.
The first weekly Lagos-Kano passenger train service, which was inaugurated on Dec. 21, 2012, departs Lagos at noon every Friday.
The second weekly train service, which departs Lagos at 9.00 a.m. on Tuesdays, terminates at Ilorin, Kwara, with a connecting train from Offa to Kano.
