Residents raise concerns as Lagos-Ibadan train services begin

Thousands of people plying the Lagos-Ibadan railroad in the southwestern region of the country are anxiously

Thousands of people plying the Lagos-Ibadan railroad in the southwestern region of the country are anxiously awaiting the commencement of commercial operations of trains on the 157-kilometer gauge rail. 

 But residents of communities along this corridor are raising concerns. How would this project affect the socio-economic lives of the people and transform the transportation landscape in the country? Daily Trust on Sunday writes. 

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Barring any last minute change, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is expected to commence commercial operations on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line by December 7, amidst excitement and doubt.

This followed four months of free train services, which started in December 2019. It was suspended due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

The free services kicked off at Iju Train Station, en route Ibadan, recording just six passengers when the coach had the capacity for 40. But after that trip, the next one recorded 23 passengers. As more people became aware of the services, it was oversubscribed and the Iju takeoff point became crowded on a daily basis.

While the COVID-19 stalled the train services, it was also seen as a blessing because during the period of the lockdown, the contractor handling the project, the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC), completed the double track, laying up to Ebute-Metta junction, which is the final destination of the project before the Federal Government approved the extension to Apapa port terminals.

The Lagos-Ibadan fast rail is a section of the Lagos-Kano project, with an extension to Apapa. It starts from the Lagos-Ibadan axis with nine stations, along the main line, comprising Lagos, Agege, Agbado, Papalanto (Ogun), Abeokuta, Olodo, Omi Adio and Ibadan.

As part of the project specifications, there was construction of many extra-large bridges, large bridges, four medium bridges, two steel structure bridges, 10 frame bridges, 207 culverts, 40 railway-crossing bridges, 31 pedestrian overpasses, among others.

With the completion of the track laying, up to Ebute-Metta, the original terminal point, residents of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states can now enjoy the train ride, covering a 157-kilometer stretch from Lagos to Ibadan and vice versa, with effect from Monday, December 7 while the construction of stations continues.

Already, the NRC has taken delivery of some new coaches and rolling stock to beef up the operation.

But the managing director of the corporation, Fidet Okhiria, an engineer, told Daily Trust on Sunday that the corporation would deploy a diesel multiple unit for the services, even as he explained that the train would only stop in Ibadan, Abeokuta and Lagos, for a start.

He said the corporation was fine-tuning the issue of fare for the trip, but assured that it would be moderate “because the government must give back to Nigerians.”

But ahead of the commencement of the operation, residents of the benefitting states in Oyo and Ogun have advised the contractor and the Federal Government to address various environmental concerns. They, however, expressed excitement with the commencement of operation.

Residents of the two terminal areas in Ibadan – Moniya and Omi-Adio – lamented the state of their road and expressed doubt that government would meet up with the December 7 commencement date. They are, however, excited over the rail project, but expressed dissatisfaction over the narrow bridge linking the Ibadan-Abeokuta expressway, which was constructed to support the project.

When Daily Trust on Sunday visited the two terminals, it was observed that although coaches were not on ground to board, the state-of-the-art terminals were nearing completion.

The Baale of Eleso village, Chief Isiaka Abe, expressed confidence that the rail project would open the area to business, but said the authorities must address the impending danger to the community with the narrow gauge.

He said, “It is a good project; our fear is the accident we usually record on this road. In recent times, we have recorded more than six deaths. We have written many letters to the Federal Government to do speed breakers for us here, but they are yet to respond. Because of this project, we are already seeing people buying lands with huge money.”

A community leader at Ido village in Omi-Adio, Joseph Okuwofu, said though people were excited over the rail project, their concern is the terrible condition of the Ibadan-Abeokuta road, which passes through the rail line.

“Our people are losing confidence in government’s promises on the rail project. They promised us that it would commence last year December, but a year later, we are still talking about another December. We can only believe them when we see it working,’’ he said.

Okuwofu said the community would continue to be grateful to the government because landed properties and house rents had increased in the area since the rail project began.

In the same vein, a resident of Moniya in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state, Daniel Balogun, commended the Federal Government for the initiative, but lamented the late kickoff of commercial train services.

“Let’s commend them for doing it at all. We have been expecting them to start the project, but we don’t know why they are just promising to start operation. I heard rumours that they would start last year, but here we are today,’’ he said.

Another resident, Sabur Akinyele, confirmed that value of lands has started appreciating in the area, but said government needed to put measures in place to ensure security of travellers.

“The only area I think government needs to improve is security. Many people would be stopping here, and you will agree with me that this area is still a village. There is the need for government to beef up security here,’’ he said.

In Ogun State, residents along the rail line also expressed reactions ahead of the commencement of the operations.

It was reported that the multibillion-naira project had become a thorn in the flesh of residents of areas where it passes through.

Between 2017 and 2019, flood ravaged 150 villages spread across 70 communities hosting the Abeokuta section of the project.  This was attributed to construction error.

The red sand excavated during the construction of the tunnel at Laderin junction by the contractor was dumped around a number of villages; hence it formed hills, the locals said.

For residents, it is a tale of woes. It was gathered that their challenges dated back to April 2017 when the project started. Some of the affected communities are Akinseku Titun; Elefun; Jangede, Gbagura; Alagbayun; Abata; Sokan; Isa Afoyanmo; Gbensere; Laderin; Ori.

Although the residents said they experienced temporary hardship as a result of the project, they admitted that if completed, it would bring development to the area, economically and socially.

Asked if the train services would impact positively on the economy of the area, a leader in Alagada community, Wole Omotosho, said, “I don’t think so because initially, they planned to site a terminal in this area, but they have moved it to Laderin. Had it been the terminal was located in our area, definitely it would bring socio-economic development. But now, we can only watch as it passes by; there won’t be any stopover.’’

Additional stations, new cities

The chairman of the NRC, Ibrahim Musa, has hinted that five additional rail stations have been approved along the Ogun State corridor to augment the existing ones.

Speaking in Abeokuta during the monthly inspection tour of the project, Musa said the approved stations, which would be located in Ijoko, Itori, Obada, Osiele and Odeda towns, would further complement the five existing ones in the state.

“The request of the Ogun State Government for additional rail stations has been considered. It is hoped that it would have positive economic and developmental bearing on citizens and passengers,” he said.

Also, the commissioner for transportation in the state, Gbenga Dairo, an engineer, expressed satisfaction on the level and standard of the job done. He added that the state government planned to create new cities along the corridor and develop the existing communities, with a view to maximising the economic benefits of the project.

To address the concerns raised by the communities along the rail line, the managing director of the NRC, Okhiria, said the Federal Government had reached an agreement with three state governments to jointly build standard underpasses at level crossings along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway corridor.

“The policy is that there should be no physical level crossing; it should be either overpasses or underpasses,’’ he told our correspondent.

This is in line with the promise of the Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi recently when he said every disruption to the physical structures in communities along the corridor would be fixed.

“If we don’t provide these facilities, human beings would continue to use the track. We are being unfair to them because they gave us all the cooperation we needed. It is not good to visit them with what was not there before. It is for the engineers to take a study, village by village, of what impact our rail line has caused to the communities,” Amaechi had said.

Okhiria further said, “In the course of constructing this rail line, we have elevated the track. There are communities along this line whose lives have been disrupted. For some of them, erosion has set in and they can’t cross to other communities.”