Nigerian government begins reconstruction of Eastern rail line

The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has said the Federal Government has begun reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Eastern Railway Corridor.

Mr Victor Adamu, the Railway District Manager, Eastern District, Enugu, stated this while responding to a national survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on the abandonment of railway lines in the country, in Enugu on Wednesday.

Adamu said that the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the narrow gauge tracks had commenced from Port Harcourt to Aba, in Abia State.

According to him, the narrow gauge traversed the eastern district, from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and other parts of Nigeria.

“This district covers Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers and part of Egbede in Benue State, which is our boundary with the north central district of about 110 kilometers.

“I am very happy to state that the segment of the contract was handed over to NRC on Nov. 28, 2024.

“We have our coaches that are running from Port Harcourt to Aba and back to Port Harcourt, five days in a week,”; he explained.

He acknowledged that there was a suspension of work from Aba in Umuahia down to Enugu.

Adamu, however, said that the Federal Government is doing everything possible to ensure that the construction and rehabilitation on the remaining part of the contract commenced soonest.

The district manager explained that, through the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, work on the narrow gauge had resumed.

“This is a project which the Southeast and other parts of the country will benefit from.

“The Federal Government is doing a lot to see that the rail lines are working again.

“Sometime in April, the Managing Director of NRC, Mr Kayode Opeifa, visited Enugu and we had some meaningful discussions with the governors of Abia and Enugu states.

“I believe that the visit will really bring out a lot of things that are going to happen on this corridor,’’ he said.