The rehabilitation of the railway line from Kuru station in Plateau State to Bauchi station would be completed at the end of February, 2014, Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar has said.Umar said this yesterday during the inspection tour of the rehabilitation of the rail lines in Kafanchan District of Nigerian Railway, which covers some parts of Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue States.According to him, the inspection visit was to see the progress of work on the rehabilitation of rail tracks, to identify areas of challenges and interact with contractors on the achievement of milestones within the stipulated time.“We have the commitment of the contractors that between now and end February the track between Kuru and Bauchi will be ready,” he added.The minister stated that the federal government was assiduously working on the Port Harcourt – Maiduguri line to ensure that the entire line is completed by the middle of this year.According to him, the railway from Apapa port in Lagos to Kaduna, and to Kano, was already operational as people and freight were being conveyed on daily basis. He expressed government’s desire to replicate such feat in all parts of the country.During the visit, the minister gave directive for a survey to be carried out from Heipang Railway Station to the Inland Container Depot at near Heipang town, for a possible construction of a spur to link the depot.He said the idea was to ensure that when constructed, goods could be transported through the rail to the depot and from the depot to through rail to other parts of the country.Speaking further the minister disclosed that seven standard gauge rail lines were being constructed across the country in order to boost rail transportation.He stated that the federal government was committed to reviving the railway system as it was in the past even one of best means of transportation.
