APM Terminals Apapa – Ibdan rail connection opens for congestion-free business

This week, the Federal Government flagged off the first cargo movement on the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor from one of the three standard gauge rail lines at APM Terminals Apapa. APM Terminals Apapa is the only container terminal in Nigeria with on-site rail connectivity and therefore offers a unique multi-modal access to the terminal via road, barge and rail.

While inaugurating the standard gauge rail, the Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, said, “The wagon freight train from Apapa port to Ibadan would move 90 containers daily, which would decongest the port and reduce demurrage for shippers.”

Lower costs

APM Terminals Apapa first restored the rail in the port in 2013 leading to the movement of containers from Apapa port to Kano and Kaduna via narrow gauge rail. Connecting the port to the new Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line offers cost advantages for consignees and reduces pressure on the road network.

In APM Terminals, we are increasing standards of responsibility to improve and safeguard the planet that sustains us, and to secure a sustainable future for us all. Globally, we made an industry-leading commitment to be fully net zero by 2040, and to reduce our total emissions by 70% by 2030 compared to 2020.

Growing rail volumes

Rail transportation will help achieve our ambition – with our terminals at Pipavav (India), Gothenburg (Sweden) both recording record rail freight volumes this year. At the start of this year APM Terminals Mobile (USA) kicked off a USD60 million rail infrastructure expansion and APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas also commenced a USD140 million expansion in response to growing cross border (rail) volumes as a result of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which entered into force on July 1, 2020.

We will continue to enhance the connectivity of our network with intermodal, environmentally-friendly solutions and digital technologies to improve ease of doing business with APM Terminals Apapa.