At least 400,000 bags of Lafarge cement have been moved to various locations in Nigeria through the rail transport system from April 2015 to October.
Also, in the space of five months, the corporation has moved 328, 000 bags of flour from its rail line which passes through the Nigeria Flour Mill in Apapa, Lagos State to Kano.
The bags of cement were shipped through the rail track of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) inside Lafarge factory in Ewekoro, Ogun State.
Through the NRC partners, Connect Rail Services Limited (CRS), the bags of cement were moved by train to Ilorin, Minna, Kaduna and Kano while the movement of cement to Lagos is expected to commence before the end of November.
Chief Executive Officer of CRS, Edeme Kelikume told journalists during a facility tour of NRC rail line in Lafarge that the commencement of movement of cement to Lagos would significantly reduce traffic congestion on Lagos roads.
He said at present, one shipment is loaded in 12 wagons with each wagon containing 800 bags of cement which is equal to 20 tonnes while a total of 9, 600 bags of 50kg cement are shipped in a train amounting to taking 15 trailers off the roads.
Also through the same Apapa station, the NRC moved 160 containers from APM Terminals within the same period from the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa to the northern part of the country.
The NRC manager for Apapa station, Mrs. Ngozi Umoh who conducted journalists round Apapa station at the weekend also disclosed that the Apapa-Ijoko train service recorded 41, 973 passengers from July to September while 7, 832 passengers were recorded through the Diesel Multiple Unit (first class) train.
She said the NRC is currently in talks with various companies especially Dangote for the movement of their products by rail.
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