By; Kayode Atofolaki, Lagos.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on has taken delivery of five Standard Guage Coaches in its effort to modernise railway operations in the country.
Receiving the coaches, the Managing Director of the Corporation, Engr Fidet Okhiria said with the new coaches, the corporation is set to commence train operations along the new Abuja-Kaduna new corridor.
The Acting Director, Mechanical Digital and communication who represented the Managing Director, Engr. Kabir Zayyana said that three of the Standard Coaches have 80 seater capacity. There is also one Executive Coach with 56 capacity and one Parcel/ Guard Vanch.
According to the MD, the contract was awarded by the Federal Government in 2015, adding that the Coaches would be deployed by May on its standard guage operation between Kaduna and Abuja.
“We have received from our contractor the coaches which we are going to use to run our standard guage from Abuja to Kaduna.
“The ship arrived on March 2, and we started off-loading them since, and they will be moved from Lagos Port to Abuja via road.
“We have off loaded five coaches comprising of one Executive Coach which has 56 capacity, three other Coaches with 80 passengers capacity and one Guard Van.
“Latest by May, operation with the train will start on that corridor to commute people with higher degree of comfort,” the acting Director said.
He said the staff of the Corporation would be used to operate the coaches, stressing that the staff had been well-trained to handle the new Coaches.
According to him, a Locomotive Driver can drive on both standard and narrow guages saying that they would only need training on timing.
Zayyana said the Corporation would transport the coaches by road because they could not travel on the existing narrow track. The Coaches he added were 1437 mm as against 1067 mm of the narrow guage.
He said that when the operation commences people could take up jobs in Abuja and reside in Kaduna.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Mr Abdulrauf Akinwoye said that the development was historical in the country.
Akinwoye said, “the it is a great achievement and development in the history of railway in Nigeria moving from narrow guage to standard guage.
“It is going to create high efficiency, enhanced patronage and comfort for the commuters.”
According to him, with the new Coaches, the Corporation will embark on high level of training and man power development.
The standard Coaches has 57.2 tare weight with 150 km/h speed.
