The process to hand over the operation of the newly commissioned Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway to Nigerians has commenced with the Chinese construction giant training workers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on some technical aspects of the operation.
The contractor, the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC), organised the one-month training for the NRC workers.
No fewer than 167 NRC workers and those of the Federal Ministry of Transport (FMOT) participated in the training.
Daily Trust reports that the 157-kilometer standard gauge commenced full commercial operation in June 2021 after its commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari and it is being operated largely by the Chinese with a handful of the NRC workers understudying them.
The training was part of the sustainability plan to hand over the operation to Nigerians which was part of the agreement the Federal Government signed with the Chinese firm.
They were trained on various aspects of the Railway operations such the Sub-grade and Structures, Permanent Way and introduction to various equipment, Stations and Communication, Signaling and Power supply system.
The Deputy Managing Director of CCECC, Engr. Xia Lijun, stated that the training was part of the processes to be observed preparatory to the final handover of the entire Lagos-Ibadan railway system.
He stated that there is no doubt that the participants have gained wealth of experiences from the training programme.
Lijun emphasised that the experience garnered so far would make the operation of the dedicated railway highly functional and meet up with the purpose for which the project was designed.
He enjoined all the trainees to be highly focused with full confidence in administering the knowledge already gained from the comprehensive training programme in both theory and practical processes.
Managing Director of NRC, Engr. Fidet Okhiria, said the training was the first of its kind in the history of railway modernization which started a long time ago.
He stated that the knowledge garnered would help in improving the infrastructure the government is handing over to the NRC.
Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Mrs. Kemi P. Ogbonna, District Superintendent Western District, said the training had exposed them to the rudiments of running and maintaining a new railway such as the new Lagos Ibadan standard gauge.