The first container freight train of the Lagos-Ibadan railway has taken off from the Apapa port in Nigeria’s commercial capital city.
The container freight train carried thirty 40-foot containers to Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
The rail project was constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement published on CCECC website on Thursday, the construction firm said the container train departed Apapa and arrived Ibadan in two and half hours.
“The first container freight train of the Lagos-Ibadan railway, built by CCECC, has set off from Apapa Port in Lagos, Nigeria,” the statement reads.
“This train is the first container freight train after the cement freight train started operating on July 4th.
“It departed from Apapa Port and carried a total of 30 40-foot containers, arriving at Ibadan station in just two and a half hours.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation plans to operate one pair of container trains daily and gradually increase the number of trains as the demand grows, improving the railway transportation system behind Lagos Port.”
In September, the federal government inaugurated cargo movement on the single-gauge rail (SGR) from the Apapa port to Ibadan.
During the inauguration, the train moved from the Ebute Metta station before proceeding to Apapa for the launch, and then to Ibadan over the 157-kilometer rail track.
In 2020, Rotimi Amaechi, former transportation minister, said certain types of cargo will not be allowed to go by road after the completion of major rail projects across the country.
“As soon as we finish these rail projects, there are some types of cargo that will not go on road, whether you like it or not,” Amaechi had warned.