The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has sought the partnership of the Ogun State Government on narrow guage rail line for mass transit in the state.
The Managing Director, NRC, Dr Kayode Opeifa, said this when the Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Gbenga Dairo, led the top management team from the ministry on a courtesy call on Thursday, in Lagos.
Opeifa noted that the narrow gauge rail lines offered an opportunity to address the crisis of mobility facing people living in the border communities between Lagos and Ogun states.
Describing the narrow gauge as a low hanging fruit, Opeifa said the state needed to ensure that the corporation put all the old lines back to good shape.
“The narrow gauge offers the governor, a huge political milage and high revenue at the least cost, because you will be making use of the infrastructural facility of the NRC, just as the Lagos State Government is doing on the Lagos Red Line Mass Transit Train.
“Luckily, Ogun state has the best opportunity to operate the narrow gauge to a wider section of her population because a larger portion of our rail operation is in your state.
“We can assure you that whatever you need we can give you at no cost because it is in the national interest that all states which has train network commence commercial operation just as Lagos State is doing,” he said.
He added that the current administration under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda was determined to encourage all states willing to develop and deepen rail infrastructure and mobility sector to do so.
“What is left for us at the corporation is to cascade the Federal Government’s investments down to the states to provide an opportunity for them to own and operate mass train services for their people,” he said.
Opeifa said that he would visit the Ogun State, Gov. Dapo Abiodun, to inform him of the corporation’s readiness to work with the state to bring the dividends of rail down to the people.
“The corporation is working with Bauchi, Borno, Plateau and Niger states, and we urge them to make use of the opportunity to explore the potential of the narrow gauge in transportation here by provide affordable alternative to the people of the state.
“The corporation is refurbishing a locomotive needed to enable it expand its service to Kajola – Oyingbo line, as it is looking forward to introducing a 2.00 p.m. line.
“This is for the benefit of traders and other artisans working around the area that commutes daily to Lagos on the Mass Transit Train.
“Besides the 2.00 p.m. line, the Idogo line will be reactivated, this will help to move agricultural products from the farms in the rural areas to the market in Lagos thereby reducing food inflation in the country,” he said.
In his remarks, Dairo said the state government would review its Transport Development Plans with the mind of being intentional in building narrow gauge activities into its plans.
He looked forward to working with the corporation’s engineers in delivering the best and affordable alternative transportation to the people of the state. (NAN)
