11 April 2016, Lagos — The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has expressed readiness to lift 800,000 litres of petroleum products across the country by rail at once.
Acting Managing Director of the corporation, Engr. Fidet Okhiria said this is possible with the newly acquired pressurized tank wagons now in stock.
The MD who spoke through the spokesman of the corporation, Mr. Abdulraouf Akinwoye in response to the enquiry by Daily Trust on the readiness of the corporation to commence movement of petroleum products by rail said each of the wagons has the capacity to carry 40,000liters of petroleum products with 20 of them in stock.
The NRC has also commenced talks with major oil marketers to partner with the corporation to commence lifting of petroleum products.
According to him, lifting of petroleum products across the country is not strange to the corporation as it had been lifting for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) even before the pipeline transportation.
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of Ijora and Iganmu in Apapa Local Government has supported plan to commence movement of petroleum products by rail, saying this would end the traffic nightmare being experienced by people due to activities of tanker drivers.
Oba Abdulfatai Yinka Aromire, the Ojora of Ijora land and Iganmu in a chat with Daily Trust recently said it is high time the nation reverted to petroleum products haulage via train as was done in the past.
- Daily Trust