2019年CRI China-constructed railway marks 1000th day of operation in Nigeria

 

Nigeria's Abuja-Kaduna railway is the first rail line in Africa that is constructed and supported by China with modern standard gauge¹.

The railway recently marked more than 1000 days of smooth operation and has transported over 1.5 million passengers, making a good example of the China-Nigeria cooperation in infrastructure².

The Abuja-Kaduna railway is the first line of the railway modernization³ project in Nigeria.

It was financed by the Chinese government with concessional loans, and constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, which also provides technical services in operation.

Opened in July, 2016, the 186 kilometer rail line realized the train connection between the Nigerian capital Abuja with Kaduna, an important industrial city on the north of the country.

Last week, the Nigerian transport ministry⁴ awarded China Civil Engineering Nigeria a special medal for operating Abuja-Kaduna railway safely in the past 1000 days.

Adeola Adeokun is the general manager of Nigeria Railway Corperation.

"Today we are marking the 1000th day. We have not had any serious accidents. That does not mean we have not had incidents. We have had incidents of maybe cows or somebody lyng down on the tracks. We have not really had derailments, and because we carry a lot of people we pray that would never happen in our lifetime. So thank you for your good work in making the Abuja rails," Adeokun said on the awarding event.

Faced with relatively⁵ weak railway services in Nigeria, China Civil Engineering decided⁶ to do more than just building the railway when they started the project.

The Chinese company provided the Nigeria Railway Corperation with the technical support and organized training sessions to help operate the rail system effectively.

Manager Jiang Yigao said the Abuja-Kaduna railway has won wide compliments from Nigerian people.

"It is a significant achievement under the Belt and Road initiative between China and Nigeria. In the near future, more and more modern railways will be built. More and more Nigerians will enjoy the safe, comfortable and convenient service by the railway," Jiang said.

Since its opening, the Abuja-Kaduna railway has greatly alleviated⁷ the traffic congestion⁸ between the capital district and the states of Niger and Kaduna.

It has become the most preferred mode of transport by people traveling between these places.

The train tickets are often sold out. Sometimes even the train aisle⁹ is crowded with passengers.

Yusuf Mohammed is a local businessman. For more than two years, he has traveled between Abuja and Kaduna by train.

"The country would change the way we transport ourselves and goods. We need this. We need coaches. We need more locomotives. We need more rail tracks. We need to have more frequency. We need to have discrimination to every state capita. We do need that and I hope the Chinese company will support," Mohammed said.

Now, China Civil Engineering is laying tracks for the second line of the Nigeria railway modernization project, the Lagos-Ibadan railway.

When finished, it's expected to bring great convenience to the transportation system in southwest Nigeria.

1 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 alleviated   

减轻，缓解，缓和( alleviate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It is always completely alleviated by total gastrectomy. 全胃切除永远完全缓解症状。
• Toxicity problem in manufacturing and storage might be alleviated by coating beryllium with aluminum. 但如果用铝包覆铍，则可避免加工过程中及储存期间的中毒问题。

8 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

9 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。