Mokwa-Jebba bridge collapse stalls North-South train
services
The recent washing off of the Mokwa-Jebba
bridge linking the South to the North in Niger State has cut off train services
on that axis.
Most
hit is the passenger train from Lagos to Kano which has been stalled following
the bridge’s collapse as a result of a downpour on June 11 which eroded a
portion of the railway track.
Daily
Trust gathered that trains coming from the South could not move beyond Jebba in
Kwara State and those coming from the North could not move beyond Mokwa in
Niger State.
However,
the NRC management is to fix readymade bridge in the area as a temporary
measure to restore train services pending the reconstruction of the bridge.
The
temporary bridge, according to the NRC Managing Director, Engr. Fidet Okhiria,
was deployed from Ibadan. Materials like laterite, granite, long stones, among
others were moved from Lagos, Zaria, Kafanchan, and Offa to put the temporary
measure in place.
Okhiria
who addressed newsmen in Lagos at the weekend shortly after the train carrying
the equipment departed the railway compound, said the temporary measure would
be ready in two weeks for train services to resume.
“Within
the next two weeks, we are hoping that we should be able to resume train
services from the north to south,” he assured.
Okhiria
who also spoke during an inspection of the location of the Tatabu bridge in
Niger State, said the corporation would work hard to fix the problems, so that
the Lagos to Kano line could begin operations again in the next two
weeks.
“We
are going to construct a temporary bridge that will cost us about N5 million.
The trains bringing emergency materials from Lagos and Kano will arrive on
Monday for proper work to commence,” Okhiria said.
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