Abia and Neighbouring States Plan Regional Railway

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State says South-east states and some parts of South-south are talking about building a regional railway. This will help improve transport and boost the economy.

Mr Otti shared this news during his monthly chat with the media in Umuahia on Thursday.

He mentioned that this new railway will connect Port Harcourt, Aba, Enugu, Imo, and Akwa Ibom.

The governor said the state had already worked with a Chinese company to design a light rail system. This system was meant to link major areas in Abia.

“We had engaged a Chinese company which produced a design that would link many parts of the state.

“But, on further consideration, we found that linking parts of the state without taking neighbouring states into account may not be the best approach,” he explained.

He added that the state decided to pause the individual project to join a larger regional railway plan.

“The South-east states and some parts of the South-south are now in discussions on how we can connect ourselves through a regional rail network,” he said.

He pointed out that the current Port Harcourt, Maiduguri railway goes through Aba. He believes that joining the new network with the federal government’s rail system will be more cost-effective.

According to him, this is why there has been a delay in starting the state’s original light rail project.