Check Out The New, Ultra Modern Train That Will Be Used For Abuja Light Rail - Exclusive Photos

The ministry of transportation is a very important ministry that every government either state or federal hold dearly to its heart. Once the road and other forms of transportation are solved, be sure that problems of mobility have come to an end. Some few days, the minister of transportation was at CRRC head office in China where he went to inspect the trains that will be used for the Lagos-Ibadan rail and the Abuja Light railway. AutoReportNG has it on a good note that trains meant for the Abuja metropolis are already on their way to Nigeria.

We got an exclusive overview of how these trains look like. The trains will be adorned in three colours, one is the green and white, the other is blue and white and the last colour will be orange and white (that is if the colours remain unchanged)
will ply the Abuja metropolis and shuttle Abuja.

During the inspection, the minister was made to see different types of trains, models and how they work. The Abuja type of train is called DMU... A DMU train according to Wikipedia, A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages.

Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also generally classed as DMUs. Diesel-powered units may be further classified by their transmission type: diesel-electric (DEMU), diesel-mechanical (DMMU) or diesel-hydraulic (DHMU).

A train composed of DMU cars scales well, as it allows extra passenger capacity to be added at the same time as motive power. It also permits passenger capacity to be matched to demand, and for trains to be split and joined en route. It is not necessary to match the power available to the size and weight of the train, as each unit is capable of moving itself. As units are added, the power available to move the train increases by the necessary amount. DMUs may have better acceleration capabilities, with more power-driven axles, making them more suitable for routes with frequent closely spaced stops, as compared with conventional locomotive and unpowered carriage setups.

Remember, the minister of transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi has given the contractor Nov 30th deadline for a test run to start from Ebute-Metta in Lagos to Ibadan.

AutoReportNG got some exclusive images of these trains and the company's video graphical presentation when they are going for a test run and trial at CRRC Dalian's Factory.

The trains are expected to arrive in Nigeria before December 2019. See the photos below...

Graphical Presentation

See the video below...

FG, CRCC Sign $3.9bn Agreement On Abuja-Itakpe Railway - Exclusive Photos

The federal government has signed a 3.9 billion dollar agreement with the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) for the construction of the Abuja-Itakpe railway.

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, announced this in Abuja on Thursday.

The minister expressed hope that the project would be speedily completed.

“The signing ceremony that we have today is the first PPP railway agreement for Abuja-Baru-Itakpe and Lokoja and it is between Nigeria and CRCC,” he said.

“The agreement is supposed to be 15 per cent Nigeria equity and 10 per cent CRCC equity and then we borrow 75 per cent as SPV from the Chinese bank.

“Part of the agreement is that CRCCI will provide us with a performance bond from their bank before we give a sovereign guarantee for them to be able to borrow the 75 percent.

“There is a concession agreement that CRCCI will manage both the railway and the seaport and recover the 75 per cent and pay the money.

“So, the entire railway for now in Nigeria is constructed by CRCC. I think that the good working relationship we have had with CRCC is the reason we have not been able to engage other companies.”

On the Ibadan dry port, the minister expressed displeasure that work had not been completed and called for the completion of the project.

He also urged the CRCC to ensure it commenced work on the Abuja to Itakpe and Warri seaport rail line.

“You were pushing us to approve and now we have but you are not on-site; there is a need for CRCCI to the go-to site,” he said.

On funding for the project, Amaechi said the majority of the funds would come from the Chinese government.

The minister urged more collaboration with the Chinese, especially CRCC and CCECC to improve the capability of Nigerians in the sector.

“There is a need to instruct both CCECC and CRCCL to realise that we need to localise the technology and we need local participation of both Nigerian engineers and contractors,” he said.

“That’s why we emphasise on the universities we are asking you to build; we are expecting that not only will you build you will provide us with lecturers until we can train our own lecturers.

“Just like we are holding CCECC on the issue of manufacturing at Kajola, for which we have awarded them the contract of about 500 million dollars to build for us rolling stock for Lagos-Ibadan.

“We will also resume conversation with CRCC on the issue of manufacturing railway components in Nigeria.”

See photos of the on-going construction of the Warri Itakpe rail line below...

Lagos-Ibadan Railway: Amaechi In China As May Delivery Date Remains Sketchy - Photos

All eyes are on the minister of transportation, Mr. Rotimi Ameachi if he will prove his word on the Lagos-Ibadan Railway on the May delivery date. According to The Punch Newspapers...

The Federal Government has asked the Chinese Railway Rolling stock Corporation Qishuyan, the firm in charge of the construction of locomotives for Nigeria, to speed up its work, as the tracks of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line where the locomotives are to be deployed will be ready soon.

According to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, a significant section of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line is scheduled for completion by the end of May or the first week in June.

Amaechi, who disclosed this when he led a delegation from Nigeria on an inspection tour of the CRRC in China, stated that Nigeria needed the locomotives before the completion of work on the rail line by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.

The minister was quoted in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Transportation as saying, “Make it faster to construct these locomotives because we need them now.

“By end of May and first week in June, CCECC would have completed work on the tracks. What this visit has shown is that there is neither locomotives nor coaches that are ready. So if you speed up the process, we will be grateful.”

The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidel Okhiria, said the designs for the locomotives had been completed and CRRC had started making the components.

He said, “We are expecting four motorcades for the Diesel Multiple Units, eight locomotives for passengers and seven other locomotives for freight. Eight coaches with two motorcade form a set, while the passenger coaches are independent.

“The engines we are expecting are going to be more modern and encased so that the technicians can work whether rain or shine.”

The General Manager, CRRC Qishuyan Co., Ltd, Xu Shibao, said his firm would do its best for the training and after-sales service in Nigeria.

Shibao told the Nigerian delegation that the company would further contribute to the development of Nigeria’s railway.

This is not the first times the delivery date for the Lagos-Ibadan Railway has been shifted. The minister as at last year said the railway will be completed before February of which was shifted to May again. It will be interesting to see how this will pay out.

Meanwhile, the Lagos - Ibadan Railway has 21 bridges with a total of 178 spans. 712 precast T-beams are required for the bridges. As at 17 April 2019., the last T-beam for this project was laid.

AutoReportNG got some exclusives images of the minister and his entourage when they visited the Chinese Railway Rolling stock Corporation Qishuyan in China some few weeks backs.

Images from the construction site...