Nigeria: NRC Acquires 20 More Tank Wagons to Haul Petroleum Products By Sunday Okobi, 22 November 2013 The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC)s effort to rid the roads of tankers and other heavy duty vehicles has gotten a boost, as the corporation took delivery of 20 more pressurised tank wagons for the haulage of petroleum products across the country. With the acquisition, the corporation has 40 tank wagons as it had earlier acquired 20. This is in addition to locomotive engines and telescopic cranes, which it said would help in its drive to reduce the burden on the roads. The procurement is in line with its campaign to run what it called speedy and consistent rail and telecommunications facilities rehabilitation project across the country. At the ENL Terminal, at the Apapa Port, Lagos, where the tank wagons were inaugurated, the Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuwade, noted that with the additional tankers specially manufactured by China Railway Shanhaiguan Bridge Group and Westgate Project Limited for NRC, the event signified another achievement in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. The procurement contract for the tank wagons, he stated, comprised the manufacture and delivery of the tank wagons together with spare parts, and one-year worth of consumables. Sijuwade disclosed that testing and inauguration of the equipment and training of NRC engineers in utilisation and maintenance cost N650 million, with contract duration of 10 months, adding: I am glad to report that they have been delivered within the stipulated time and contract sum. These tank wagons were procured by NRC primarily to enhance the movement of petroleum products across the country by rail. They were specifically designed and manufactured for our existing narrow gauge rail system the advanced technologies and serviceable parts and materials used in domestic railway wagons, he added. THISDAY learnt that each wagon has a loading capacity of 40 tonnes; axle load of 16.5 tonnes; tare weight of 22 tonnes and a total volume of 45m3, which is equivalent of a capacity of 45,000 litres totalling 900,000 litres of 20 tank wagons; all to be moved by on locomotive to different parts of the country. Compared to the oil tankers we see on the road, with a capacity of 33,000 litres movement of a train of 20 tank wagons will invariable result in about 30 road tankers taken off our roads; hence the positive impact on road safety, he said. According to the NRC boss, the tank wagons have been manufactured with a dual breaking system like the air and vacuum brakes, which enable quick halt in a safe manner and firm stabling. The barrels are non-corrosive thereby enabling a relatively long life span. In addition to the performance parameters, the operation, utilisation and maintenance of the wagon will be enhanced by their built-in safety protection system such as non-spillage, fire protection, pressure detection system and purpose built ladders for safe and easy access. Sijuwade also assured the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, and Nigerians that the wagon will be put to good use in transporting petroleum products to various parts of the country over the next few weeks. The existing 20 tanks are currently being used in transporting diesel from Lagos to Ibadan, Offa, Minna, Kaduna and Kano to power locomotives. The new ones will be used in providing haulage services to oil marketers and in this regards, I can confirm that NRC is working with Total Plc in the developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed by both parties on the movement of petroleum products by rail. Let me assure you that the funds being provided by the federal government are being judiciously utilised both in the execution of our capital project and in provision of safe and reliable train services. Also, a passenger train with over 1,000 passengers frequently departs Lagos at 9a.m for Ilorin, another one with over 1,000 passengers depart for Kano three times weekly, and we are now moving over 3,000 tons of wheat from Lagos to Kano on a monthly basis. The corporation recently commenced the movement of 100 containers from Lagos to Kaduna and Kano, moving 5,000 tonnes of cement for Lafarge at Ewekoro to Osogbo, Ilorin, Minna and Kano on a monthly basis, and soon, according to NRC, movement of cars for Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN) from Lagos to Kano would commence before the end of the year.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 11:57:35 +0000
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