Rail project to create 4,000 jobs

By Segun Balogun

February 7, 2010 03:15PM

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, on Wednesday said that the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Project, Blue Line, (from Okokomaiko to Marina) will engage at least four thousand Nigerians during the construction process.

Mr. Fashola made the disclosure at the CCEC Rail Construction Yard (in the premises of the Nigerian Railway Corporation), Ebute Metta. The governor was there to find out how prepared the contractors were for the commencement of construction of the light rail project. He also said that some Nigerians working in the London underground train system were willing to come home and run rail service in their country.

“Sooner than later, when it is completed it will make public transportation faster, safer and more efficient and from then on it will be an improved and increased quality of life on how people are transported as well as goods and services,” Mr. Fashola said.

He expressed hope that very soon in collaboration with the federal government, the state can get permission to also use part of the existing railway corridor to start the Red Line that will link Iddo to Agbado to Ijoko in Ogun State.

“We are ready to go. It is the same contractor (CCEC). All we are waiting for is the permission from Federal Government now. We have an MOU with them. We just need them to fasten a few things,” the governor said, adding that it will take 24 months, from the commencement of construction, for the project to be completed.

“We are hoping to commence construction hopefully before the end of the first quarter.”

While underscoring the readiness of the construction company to start the project, Mr. Fashola said almost all the equipment required are in place and that the Chinese company has started the recruitment of not only the technical staff from China but the local staff that will give support.

The manager of CCEC Rail Construction, Shi Stone, while conducting the governor around said the construction design is 85 per cent complete and that it will be ready by the end of January.

He added that the company is ready with about 136 different construction equipment on ground and another 40 under shipment.

The governor was accompanied on the inspection tour by some members of the State Executive Council and the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Dayo Mobereola, and other government officials.

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Reader Comments (15)

Posted by SPAIN BASE on Jan 25 2010

MEN LOOK AT NIGERIA TRAIN WHAT A SHAME .

Posted by Austine Uche Ejeke on Jan 25 2010

Story story , story! na today?

Posted by MARC on Jan 25 2010

Good start! This is the progress we have been waiting fot.

Posted by Lawal on Jan 25 2010

Thanks my Action Governor. I hope we are not going to use the type of Locomotive train shown above. Apart from the fact that it is Ancient, it will also fasten ozone depletion...

Posted by Golden Eggs on Jan 25 2010

Locomotive from the colonial era.

Posted by Seun on Jan 25 2010

Well, so far so good, Fashola has been an action man. I don't think this will be another story story.

Posted by Oko Idogo Oniranu on Jan 25 2010

"Chinese company has started the recruitment of not only the technical staff from China but the local staff that will give support": Fifty year after independence, let's ship everything from China. China will only loot your resources and leave you with nothing.

Posted by bentley d' torrent Iyoha on Jan 25 2010

its a rag race of confusion in Nigeria, i hope CHINA is not bringing a train version of the phones & gadget they sell i naija....cos dat will mean a bigger disaster.....good job FASHOLA anyway

Posted by Dayo on Jan 25 2010

@ Bentley, the Chinese are only in charge of building the fixed assets, including construction of the alignment, bridges, and stations. The concessionaire will procure (and finance) rolling stock and depot facilities, as well as provide operations and maintenance over a 25 year period. The concessionaire will be compensated through passenger revenues as well as revenues earned from retail activities within stations. @ Oko, you are properly typing from your foreign-made PC or your Mac, rather than the local Omatek or Zinox. Just kidding...LOL!

Posted by baba j on Jan 25 2010

What kind of acient and archaic train is that. Why do our people always settle for mediocrity. Is it these days that people in other parts of the world are using trains that go over 365kph that they giving us this moving coffins and everybody is clapping. I sorry for Nigeria.

Posted by mr ade on Jan 25 2010

my people use your heads. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT THE TRAIN IF YOU HAD READ THE ARTICLE YOU WOULD KNOW THIS. this is the key sentence, The governor was there to find out how prepared the contractors were for the commencement of construction of the light rail project.

Posted by Larry Kally on Jan 25 2010

4000 Jobs - 3,500 gone due to nepoitism. 500 gone into somebody's pocket and 1000 gone due to overestimation

Posted by Mr true talk on Jan 25 2010

Locomotive train@2010...hmmm,OK we agree!but lets start it first.with consistency and continuity we will get to the next level if we work hard.Still i hope this is not another "Government Magic", you never can trust Nigerian Leaders.

Posted by CountryMan on Jan 26 2010

that man standing on the train deck in a white shirt, folded sleeves, is there to shoo away people who are obstructing the movement of the train...the nigerian railway employ lots of people like that, because they lose their voice after 6 months on the job...they do it in three nigeria languages...jafra de allah, puta ne uzo...kuro na lan...more employees are urgently needed...

Posted by Vic1 on Feb 21 2010

This is definitely a step in the right direction for all Lagosians and Nigeria as a whole. It is key that we not only embrace this significant infrastructural development, but as a city and nation, we ensure its complete delivery.