By Patrick Andrew Abuja
Th e heavy downpour of June 11, 2017 has cut off the rail line that links the Northern and Southern part of Nigeria at Ndafun in Niger State. Th e downpour, which led to the destruction of farmlands, houses and fruit tress and vehicles, damaged 300 meters of rail tracks thus halting the North-South locomotive service. According to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) the damaged has cost it a weekly N50m income and would require at two weeks to get the wrecked section of the line repaired. As a result of the damage, the corporation has suspended passenger and freight train services between Mokwa and Jebba.
Th e corporation, however, said train services between Lagos and Jebba, as well as Kano to Mokwa are not aff ected by the suspension noting that the temporary bridge would be put in place at Ndafor pending the construction of a permanent bridge in the nearest future. Th e NRC’s Managing Director, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, who explained the damage, said that the rail damage could also have been caused by an avalanche of water released from Kanji Dam. Disclosing this over the weekend at the corporation’s headquarters, the managing director said apart from the washout of rail tracks on ground, the rain also aff ected a railway bridge at Ndafor, which links Mokwa and Jebba. Further, he said offi cials as well as materials such as lump stones, laterite and gabion crates
have been mobilised to site, adding that a temporary bridge will be launched within the next two weeks to ensure that trains linking Mokwa and Jebba commence operations. Okhiria assured that lump stones would be used to fi ll the void before pouring laterite so as to reinforce the ground before laying the tracks. He noted that washout is a natural occurrence that is peculiar to the raining season, noting that between the months of May and September which fall within the rainy season, experienced track men from the civil engineering department are usually deployed to conduct regular inspection of tracks so as the identify faulty tracks and repair same to forestall any accident. Speaking on the recent accidents involving two Lagos mass transit trains at Ebute Metta Junction and Mushin railway stations, Okhiria said that investigation into the causes of the two accidents has commenced and that staff found wanting will be disciplined in line with rules and regulations of the corporation
