Federal Government has announced plans to develop a high-speed rail line connecting Lagos to Maiduguri, with trains expected to operate at speeds of up to 360 kilometres per hour.
Gatekeepers News reports that Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Olufunso Adebiyi, disclosed this on Monday at the opening of the 19th National Council on Transportation in Abuja. The four-day event is themed, “Developing an Effective Transport System for Nigeria: The Role of Integrated Transportation.”
Adebiyi said the proposed rail service is part of efforts by the Federal Government to reduce the country’s reliance on road transportation by strengthening rail, maritime and air transport.
He said Nigeria’s railway sector was undergoing a “rebirth”, noting that several corridors had already been completed and were operational. These include the Port Harcourt-Aba, Warri-Itakpe, Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna routes.
According to him, work is also progressing on other railway projects across the country. He said the Kaduna-Zaria-Kano line is nearing completion and is expected to open by December, while work is ongoing on the Kaduna-Daura-Katsina, Katsina-Jibia-Maradi and Kano-Dutse corridors.
The permanent secretary also said the government was promoting rail freight to reduce the number of heavy-duty vehicles on Nigerian roads, which would help ease congestion, reduce road damage and improve transportation efficiency.
Adebiyi further disclosed that light rail projects had been approved for Lagos and Kano, with plans to extend similar systems to other state capitals.
