An Iddo-bound p a s s e n g e r s train on Friday rammed into an articulated vehicle at the Ilupeju Railway Crossing near Oshodi in Lagos State. Although no life was lost, the incident which happened at about 7.30 a.m. led to gridlock along the Ilupeju/Oshodi road for several hours, reports on online publication, CKN. Ademuyiwa Adekanbi, Lagos District Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, confirmed the incident pointing out that no life was lost. Adekanbi said that the corporation has embarked on enough enlightenment campaigns on the use of the railway crossings. “We have done enough jingles on radio and television, we have organised rallies and distributed fliers to sensitise people of the right of way of a train at level crossings,” he said.
Each of the coaches on the train has 90 seats which are usually overloaded. An eyewitness told journalists that the articulated vehicle blocked the railway crossing when the train was already close by.
The loaded trailer had crashed into the double barriers on the railway crossing shortly before the train arrived. On seeing the approaching train, the driver jumped out of the trailer and ran away.
The train then dragged the truck for some distance, scattering the goods inside it, which were mostly empty cartons of Malta Guinness drink, along the track.
The dragging of the truck also led to the damaging of some vehicles parked along the rail track by motor mechanics.
It was gathered that the accident caused some damage to the engine of the locomotive and the track. The incident makes it the third time in August that passengers trains have rammed into vehicles at railway crossings in the Lagos metropolis.
Source:National Mirror