The first container freight train of the Lagos-Ibadan railway has taken off from the Apapa port.

The rail project was constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement published on its website on Thursday, the construction firm said the container freight train carried thirty 40-foot containers to Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

According to the company, the container train departed Apapa and arrived Ibadan in two and half hours, adding it is the first container freight train after the cement freight train started operating on July 4th.

The statement reads: “The first container freight train of the Lagos-Ibadan railway, built by CCECC, has set off from Apapa Port in Lagos, Nigeria.

“This train is the first container freight train after the cement freight train started operating on July 4th.

“It departed from Apapa Port and carried a total of 30 40-foot containers, arriving at Ibadan station in just two and a half hours.

“The Nigerian Railway Corporation plans to operate one pair of container trains daily and gradually increase the number of trains as the demand grows, improving the railway transportation system behind Lagos Port.”

In September, the federal government inaugurated cargo movement on the Single-Gauge Rail (SGR) from the Apapa port to Ibadan.

During the inauguration, the train moved from the Ebute Metta station before proceeding to Apapa for the launch, and then to Ibadan over the 157-kilometer rail track.