Rail transport in Nigeria

Railways in Nigeria are operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

As of 2003, Nigeria’s poorly maintained rail system had 3,557 kilometers of narrow gauge (1,067mm) track. The country has two major rail lines: one connects Lagos on the Bight of Benin and Nguru in the northern state of Yobe; the other connects Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta and Maiduguri in the northeastern state of Borno. As of March 2006, Nigeria and Niger expected to move forward with plans to establish a rail link between the two countries. Nigeria is also seeking a rail link with Cameroon, but discussions are more contentious in the aftermath of the International Court of Justice’s October 2002 verdict in favor of Cameroon on the issue of control of the Bakasi Peninsula. In order to remedy the poor condition, efficiency, and profitability of the nation’s railroads, the government is seeking to privatize the Nigerian Railroad Corporation. Under the privatization plan, three separate concessions of 25–30 years would be granted to private-sector companies to run railroads in the western, central, and eastern regions.

"total:"3,557 km
"narrow gauge:"

"standard gauge:"329 km 1.435-m gauge

"note:"Years of neglect of both the rolling stock and the right-of-way have seriously reduced the capacity and utility of the system. A project to restore Nigeria's railways is now underway. A project to convert the gauge of the system to 1435mm has also somewhat stalled. Couplings of the chopper kind, vacuum brakes and non-roller bearing plain axles are also obsolete.

Railway links with adjacent countries

* Niger - no railways - proposed Trans-Saharan Railway to Libya.
* Chad - no railways - landlocked
* Cameroon - no - break of gauge 1067mm/1000mm
* Benin - no - break of gauge 1067mm/1000mm

Timeline

2007

* February 2007 - Inland Container Depot under construction at Jos.

2006

*CONTRACT TO REBUILD LAGOS TO KANO RAILWAY LINE 30 October 2006
President Olusegun Obasanjo signed a contract with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (http://www.ccecc.com.cn/english) to modernise the Lagos to Kano railway line. This is the first phase of the proposed 3 phase line upgrade. The project has been split up into 5 sections namely Lagos-Ibadan (181 km), Ibadan-Ilorin (200 km), Ilorin-Minna (270 km), Minna–Abuja–Kaduna (360 km), and Kaduna-Kano (305 km).

* 8 June 2006 - development of Inland Container Depots (ICD) is proposed for a number of sites. [http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/money/2006/june/08/money08-06-2006-004.htm]

* CHINA HELPS WITH REVOLUTIONARY "FAST" RAIL 22 March 2006 In terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria’s federal Government on 16 March, the Guangdong Xinguang International Group is to construct a revolutionary “fast” rail (RFR) system from Lagos to the capital Abuja (where there is no existing railway) as well as light rail lines to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport from Lagos city and to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from the Abuja city centre.

* According to the minister of commerce, $US2billion has been made available to start the projects, and the Chinese company will also invest in the three planned stages of the projected Abuja light rail system. [ www.railwaysafrica.com]

Maps

* [http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/nigeria.pdf UN Map]

Cities served by rail

The East (E) and West (W) lines are connected.

West Line

* Lagos (W)
* Agege (W) - junction
* Ibadan (W)
* Oshogba (W)
* Ilorin (W)
* Minna (W) - junction for Baro
* Kaduna (W) - junction for East Line
* Zarla - junction for Kaura Namada (W)
* Kano (W)
* Nguru (W) - terminus

* Abeekuta
* Baro (branch terminus) or River Nikger

* Zaria (W) - junction
* Funtua (W)
* Gusau (W)
* [Kaura Namada (W) - branch terminus

* Bajoga
* Enugu,
* Idogo, Ikeja

Central Line 1435mm

This line is isolated from the East and West lines.

* Itakpe (C)
* Ajaokuta (C)
* Ovu (C)
* Warri (proposed)

East Line

* Port Harcourt (E)
* Aba (E)
* Enugu (E)
* Otukpo (E)
* Makundi (E)
* Kafanchan - junction to West Line
* Kuru (E) - junction for Jos
** Jos (E)
* Bauchi (E),
* Gombe (E),
* Maiduguri (E) (terminus)

----
* Lafia (E)
* Minna
* Oshogbo,
* Umagha, Uyo, Umuahia (E)
* Chamo , dutse

References