Soon Lagos To Abuja Will Be Closer Than Ever – Minister

Nigeria’s Minster of transport, Senator Idris Umar has assured Nigerian that by 2015 the passenger train service from Lagos to Abuja would come on stream

The minister also gave the exciting news that the journey will go to and fro and would only take three hours as it would only stop in three stations before its final stop.

Umar was speaking today in the nation’s capital Abuja and revealed that the train service aims to compete with the air transport service.

The minister went on to say: “The role of transportation in the socio-economic and political development of any nation cannot be over-emphasised as developments in all other sectors of the economy depend on the efficient performance of the transport system.

“Generally, the fundament goal of the transport sub section under the transformation agenda is to develop an adequate, safe, environmentally sound, efficient and affordable, integrated transport system within the framework of a progressive and competitive national and international market economy.” 

He explained that over 90 percent of existing narrow gauge lines throughout the country was being repaired, and is the first segment of the 25-year railway strategic vision. 

He said the intra and intercity train services in Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Offa, Minna, Ibadan and others are now functional and is offering services to about ive million passengers in 2014.

The minister also went in depth and revealed that several companies have been making use of the train cargo system, companies such as Flour Mills, Lafarge Cement, Inland Container Limited, Eastern Line Contractors, NRC and Connectrail Limited.

Nigeria has always been in need of the train system since the amount of populace in the country has put a stress on the local and inter state roads over the years.