Apapa-Moniya rail service will depart thrice weekly – APMT
The Chief Commercial Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Caroline Aubert-Adewuyi, says the Apapa-Moniya Standard Gauge rail services will depart three times every week given the revamped services.
She added that the rail services departing Apapa on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays would ensure efficient cargo movement from Apapa to Ibadan and back.
According to Wednesday’s release, Aubert-Adewuyi made this known on Monday in Lagos during the launch of the Apapa-Ibadan standard gauge rail service for container transportation.
He mentioned that each trip will transport up to 35 waggons, carrying either 35 forty-foot or 70 twenty-foot containers.
She said that the terminal operator is committed to a sustained schedule of the Apapa-Moniya Standard Gauge, ensuring the seamless flow of cargo to and from the Apapa port to the Nigerian Railway Corporation Freight Yard at Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Aubert-Adewuyi highlighted past challenges with the rail service, particularly unpredictable scheduling, that made cargo planning difficult for customers.
“With our revamped service, we now offer a reliable and structured schedule, departing three times a week, ensuring efficient cargo movement from Apapa to Ibadan and back. This initiative also provides a cost-effective alternative to road transport, helping to alleviate the persistent traffic congestion in Apapa, which has significantly increased logistics costs,” she said.
According to her, the plan for the Apapa-Moniya Standard Gauge Rail Service is that it operates like an airport conveyor belt system, “receiving exports from the hinterland and evacuating imports from the port efficiently, on a fixed schedule without interruptions.”
She also pointed out that there is a simplified payment system, where customers will now make payments exclusively to APM Terminals Apapa, which would handle all necessary payments to other stakeholders in the rail service supply chain.
The Chief Finance Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Courage Obadagbonyi, emphasised the multimodal strength of Apapa Port, integrating barge, road, and rail transport for enhanced cargo handling.
“Results from our 2024 fiscal year show a 43 per cent growth in export volumes over the last two years, underscoring the positive impact of our investment in rail logistics,” he stated.
He reaffirmed the terminals’ commitment to long-term sustainability, ensuring the continued efficiency of the Apapa-Ibadan rail service.
Obadagbonyi said the launch further underscores APMT’s commitment to improving logistics services in Nigeria and active plans to further invest in the Lagos Port Complex.
The NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, acknowledged the longstanding collaboration between NRC and APMT in moving container traffic across Nigeria, previously utilising the narrow-gauge line to Kaduna and Kano.
Opeifa noted that container transportation on the new standard gauge rail line officially commenced in September 2023, with logistics firms like Bueno Logistics and Transco Africa Logistics among the early adopters.
He also revealed that two additional rail lines are nearing completion at APM Terminals Apapa, bringing the total number of standard gauge lines to three.
The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Dr. Pius Akuta, praised the collaboration between NRC and APM Terminals, recognising rail transport as the most cost-effective and safest mode for shippers to move goods nationwide.
The new service operates between the Lagos Port Complex in Apapa and the NRC Freight Yard in Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State, offering a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to road transportation.
