Nigeria’s first ever high speed train
service will open for service in March
2016. It is the double-track, standard
gauge between Abuja and Kaduna that
runs at 120Km and 150 Km an hour.
Come March, travelers will be able to
journey from Abuja to Kaduna (and
vice-versa) in less than an hour.
The project which was just completed
by the China Civil Engineering
Construction Company (CCECC) cost
$849 million. The Managing Director
of the Nigerian Railway Corporation
(NRC), Adeseyi Sijuwade while
addressing the media in Lagos said
“Next month, we’ll be taking delivery
of modern coaches to run on the
standard gauge line, specifically for
the Abuja-Kaduna line, so that that
service can commence immediately,”
According to him, the corporation
was looking at a February-
March timeline to commence delivery
of services.
The rail project was supposedly
completed in December 2014, but was
never delivered. And even if the
delivery is 15 months later than
expected, it is good news that it
finally works considering the fact that
it has spanned nearly four
administrations.
