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NRC installs new system to track train movement

By BusinessNews Staff on August 13, 2015

Nigeria can now monitor and control train operation from its Lagos head office, having just installed a modern signal system for this purpose.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation said the installation of the new control system would enhance the company’s operational efficiency and improve safety on the train.

A similar report by the News Agency of Nigeria provided the detailed functions of the various installed facilities.

According to the report, the Safe Train Control covers the entire narrow-gauge rail network of the NRC; the onboard computers on locomotives is for monitoring and controlling the train movement; while the End-of-Train device is to monitor trains’ integrity, a satellite component to link the train to a central operations control centre.

“The derailment detectors are to minimise damage to track and track-side infrastructure, electronic fence to prevent trains from having any collision. The STC project is being implemented by a consortium of Ansaldo, Gear Group South Africa and A3 and O Limited,” it stated.

The Managing Director of the NRC, Mr. Adeseyi Sijuwade, said that an onboard computer would be installed in each locomotive and Diesel Multiple Unit for monitoring.

He spoke at the NRC Ebute Meta head office, Lagos, during the inauguration of the new equipment.

Sijuwade said, “Before today, we relied solely on mobile telephones for communication in the head office and on our trains all over the country.

“But with the installation of this safe train control system, through the satellite link and with the onboard computers installed in our locomotives from the Operation Control Centre, we can not only communicate with the train drivers, we can actually monitor the speed of train movement.

“We can monitor the drivers from here at Ebute Meta all through the nation. We can monitor their locations; we can monitor all incidents on our tracks. We can also control each train from here; bring the train in a safe manner to a halt with or without the control of the drivers, when the need arises.”

He said that the system would ensure safety, stressing that with the system, it would be almost impossible to have train collision.

“It will totally eliminate all uncoordinated movements, even the train drivers can actually reach us easily. It is a system where we can sit here at Ebute Metta and visualise through screens, the movement of train all over our railway network in Nigeria,” Sijuwade said.

According to him, besides greatly enhancing safety on the train by minimising the human factor, the system will avail the corporation the opportunity to monitor and control the speed of the train to avert derailment or collision.

The managing director said that the system would help drivers to adhere to journey time, minimise damage to infrastructure as well as ensure a comprehensive record of data for operational efficiency and investigation of accidents.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force, Railway Command, said it had arrested 58 hoodlums for riding on the roof top of a moving train.

The Acting Area Commander of the command, Mrs. Sarah Imagwe, disclosed this during a press briefing organised by the Lagos District of the NRC.

She said that the hoodlums were arrested at Agege Railway Station on Tuesday at 8m.

She said, “Due to a series of complaints from the railway management that hoodlums always climb on top of moving trains between Mushin and Iju, we had to move in and the suspects were arrested during a raid on Tuesday. This is has been happening and we have been making arrests and charging the suspects to court.

“When another complaint came again, the Commissioner of Police directed that men of the Nigeria Police in conjunction with railway officials should swing into action yesterday. On getting to Agege Railway Station, our men sighted the train with about 200 hoodlums on top of the roof and the effort led to the arrest of about 58 hoodlums.”

According to her, other hoodlums fled on sighting the police, adding that those arrested were detained for interrogation before charging them to court.

The Lagos Railway District Manager for Lagos, Mr. Akin Osinowo, said, “The rooftop riders is not new, it’s been with us almost since the inception of the Nigerian railway and particularly more pronounced in the metropolitan areas. It is caused because the demand exceeds the supply. The Nigeria railway is just being revived and a lot of people are keying into it because it is cheaper and it is faster.

“Yet, we will not tolerate riding on top of the train because safety is our watchword. Ninety per cent of the railway stations are porous, they are not covered and this gives an easy access for hoodlums to sit on our trains always on daily basis.”

Osinowo said that the corporation had done much to tackle the menace, which included regular raids, announcements and advertisements to sensitise commuters to the risk involved. He said the corporation would continue to use all legitimate means to find a permanent solution to the menace.

He, however, said the corporation had limited resources, stressing that the available resources were usually distributed nationwide.

According to him, the corporation has injected many coaches into the system, adding, “more are coming; there is a bright future for metro lines in the state in future years.”

[Punch]

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