The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Northern District in Zaria, on Monday night took delivery of 15 wagon loads of pipes from Lagos port.
The delivery signals the resumption of Lagos to the Kano train service.
Mr Ismail Adebiyi, the Northern District Manager, of the corporation discloses this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Zaria.
Adebiyi said the pipes were to be used for the World Bank-assisted Zaria Water Project in Kaduna state.
NAN reported last week that the train, loaded with water pipes took off from Lagos port on Wednesday afternoon for delivery in Zaria.
Mr Jerry Oche, the Lagos District Manager of the NRC had told NAN that the departure of the train signalled the re-opening of freight wagon operations from Lagos ports to other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, Adebiyi recalled that NRC had been used in the past to deliver the goods for the project but that the freight service was halted due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic early last year.
“We have already reached to our stakeholders, informing them that we are back.
“The train that brought the pipes to Zaria will go Kano after offloading the pipes for other goods to Lagos.
“The scepticism is there but many people still have confidence in us,’’ Adebiyi said.
He appealed to the Federal Government for more attention to the narrow gauge rail lines, which traverses into many cities.
Adebiyi noted that it would take the new standard gauge train more time to meet up with the narrow gauge coverage.
According to him, the narrow gauge connects about 21 states and the ambition of the government is to connect all states of the federation to the standard gauge network, which will likely take time.
“Therefore, the existing narrow should be strengthened to further complement the transportation system in the country,’’ he told NAN.
Adebiyi dispelled the misgivings by some people who erroneously believed that train services had stopped in the northern district.
He said that the district still maintains its Kano to Nguru routes in spite of COVID-19 restrictions.
“Up till today, we are still using the Kano to Nguru train services.
“Kano to Nguru train leaves Kano in the evening of Monday and arrive Nguru on Tuesday morning.
“It will leave Nguru on Tuesday night and arrive at Kano on Wednesday morning.
“The train also went back to Nguru on Thursday night and return on Saturday morning,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the northern district of the corporation comprised Kaduna, Kano Jigawa, Yobe, Katsina and Zamfara states. (NAN)
