by Laila Ibrahim
The Federal Government today awarded a contract worth N1.1 billion for the purchase of two standard gauge locomotives.
This was made public during a press briefing after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The purchase order was one of the resolutions reached at the FEC meeting which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
While briefing newsmen, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who was in the company of Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar and his health counterpart, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the contract included the design, manufacture and commissioning of the two diesel locomotives with built in power packs with standard gauge 1,435mm for the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
He said the contract, which was awarded to Messrs CNR Darling Locomotives and Rolling Stock Limited, and CCECC Nigeria Limited, will be used for mass transport services on the Abuja-Kaduna Standard Gauge Rail Line.
The transport minister gave the scope of the contract saying it includes “the design and manufacturing of two number diesel electric locomotives with a capacity of 2,800 kilowatts for standard gauge tracks, training of 30 personnel for the Nigerian railway corporation on operation and maintenance of the locomotives, commissioning and test running in Nigeria, as well as one year maintenance and technical support with two resident technicians.
“This is the first batch of the rolling stock that we are acquiring, specifically the locomotives to be used for the transportation of passengers and indeed freight from Abuja to Kaduna and vice versa,” he added.
Umar said more of such locomotives would be ordered for in 2015 and beyond, adding that government is also working to ensure the entrenchment of the modern railway system.
He added, “We are also working to see to the completion of the rehabilitation of the narrow gauge lines so as to have complementary services.
“In the long run when we achieve total development of the standard gauge, the narrow gauge will be dedicated mainly for freight, but as it is we have to continue to work hand in hand for both gauges to be operational until such a time when Nigeria attains that level where we have in place the standard gauge rail tracks and then the rail system, we can now dedicate the standard gauge lines for freight that is for carriage of goods.”
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