The federal government is targeting 2026 to complete the Kano to Maradi rail double gauge rail project.
This is even as the FG has said the freight services on the Lagos to Kano narrow gauge rail line will soon commence following the successful linking of the Kano Dala Dry Port at Zawaciki to the rail line.
The Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’id Alkali, disclosed this on Thursday when he inspected the rail facilities in Kano.
“I have just discussed with the contractor, CCECC, we are going to segment the project by the grace of God. We are going to put Kano-Daura next year and Faira to Maradi in 2026 and Dutse to Kano in 2026 he stated.
The Minister expressed satisfaction at the pace of work on the Kano-Maradi standard gauge rail corridor stating that there is marked improvement from what he saw during his first inspection visit to the site.
“We came all the way from Kano, we drove on the formation that they did, they are doing the earthwork and the culvert and this is a station where they have started preparing the rail lines and the slippers so that they will use their locomotive to convey the materials on the rail line” he stated.
Speaking on the narrow-gauge from Lagos to Kano rehabilitation, he said “We are going to put the freight hopefully in the next one month from Lagos to Kano” he assured.
The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) has announced that the line has been linked up to, Zawaciki Dala Dry Port.
He said reiterated that when the freight services resumes, the cost of transposing goods will reduce impacting positively on the cost of goods.
“By this, it will bring the cost Of business to be low. We will reduce the menace of road traffic accident. We will save our highways and the multiplier effect is on the GDP growth of the country” he indicated.
