The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said its ability to expand cargo evacuation from Lagos ports is being hampered by a shortage of locomotives and wagons as well as recurring vandalism of its infrastructure, despite recording notable freight volumes in the second quarter.

The Deputy Director, Marketing and Commercial of the Corporation, Yemi Odunowo, explained that while shippers are increasingly turning to rail as a cheaper and more reliable alternative for moving goods, demand has outstripped NRC’s carrying capacity.

He noted that many customers are unable to move all their cargoes by rail due to the limited number of trips that can be made.

“We need more locomotives and spares for both locomotives and wagons, and the procurement of additional wagons is a pressing requirement,” he said, warning that the current shortfall is constraining growth.

Odunowo also decried the rising incidence of vandalism, describing it as a recurring nightmare for the Corporation. He disclosed that vital fittings such as clips, rails, and sleepers have been carted away in several locations, posing safety risks, disrupting schedules and imposing heavy replacement costs.

He added that recent heavy rains have compounded the problem, weakened sleepers and flooded some sections of the track, forcing the suspension of services in parts of the network.

He said that despite these setbacks, NRC’s operations between April and June showed significant activity, with a total of 159,130 tonnes of cargo moved on both standard and narrow-gauge lines.

According to him, a bulk of the traffic was on the Lagos–Ibadan standard gauge, which accounted for 146,120 tonnes, including 85,600 tonnes of import and export containers and 35,880 tonnes of cement, while other commodities made up 24,640 tonnes.

On the narrow gauge, he said 13,010 tonnes were lifted, consisting mainly of import and export containers moved between Ebute Metta, Iddo, Ijoko, and APMT, alongside cement deliveries to Oshogbo and Ilorin.

In terms of frequency, he said the standard gauge recorded 141 trips while the narrow gauge accounted for 54 trips.