The Nigerian Railway Corporation says it has increased its capacity for goods haulage, especially dry products, in the Lagos district with the intention to capture more freight business this year.

It also said the corporation planned to improve its movement of petroleum products as more oil companies showed interest in using the train to transport their products across the country.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer, NRC Lagos District, Khadijah Aroyewun-Adekomaiya, said the corporation conveyed 1,270 tonnes fertilizer from Lagos to Kaduna and pipes from Lagos to Zaria within two days last week.

It said, “This came as a result of an improved partnership with haulage firms in the movement of heavy goods to different parts of the country where tracks are available.

This is a tremendous growth from the previous months where 575.4 and 500 tonnes of goods were lifted in March and April , respectively.”

It stressed that the increase in the movement of trains was in congruence with the mission of the Ministry of Transportation, under the leadership of Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, which was to improve the delivery of train transportation in the country.

It quoted the Railway District Manager for Lagos, Mr. Jerry Oche, as saying, “The NRC has the capacity to move freight of various classifications of goods on a daily basis. We have learnt from our past mistakes and have mapped out ways of ensuring safe and effective deliveries of all freight trains.”

Meanwhile, the corporation says it remains committed to ensuring the movement of both passenger and freight trains within each major city and across the country.

The Acting Managing Director of the NRC, Mr. Fidet Okheria, said this in Lagos when a delegation of Lagos State chapter of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations paid him a visit.

He said the corporation was working assiduously to support the efforts of the government in executing all its new rail projects, which would give the nation’s transport and indeed the economy a boost.

A separate statement by the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Akinwoye Abdulraouf, said the NRC boss promised that the existing trains would be run effectively and promptly for the benefit of the people while awaiting the completion of the new rail projects.

Okhira commeded the NIPR for projecting the image of the nation positively in different sectors.

“Railways remain the cradle of the public relations practice in Nigeria; hence, its total commitment to enhance and promote the noble profession.”

Responding on behalf of the NIPR, the Chairman of Lagos state Chapter, Mr Olusegun McMedal, congratulated the NRC acting Managing Director on his recent appointment and commitment to railway’s modernisation

“We were thrilled with excitement and comfort, especially the coming of the Abuja standard guage rail as Nigerians are expressly waiting for the Federal Government’s policy on the movement of petroleum products by rail across the country, trusting your team can do it better,” he said

 

Source: Punchng.com

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