As Toronto trainspotters gleefully take maiden rides on the TTC’s Rocket, commuters in Lagos, Nigeria may be about to get some new trains of their own. Our old ones.

[size=13pt]A TTC spokesperson has confirmed that the commission is negotiating with a private group to sell up to 260 used train cars to the West African megacity’s new transit project. [/size]

“I can confirm that the TTC is in discussion with a third party that wants to purchase trains for Lagos,” said commission spokesperson Brad Ross. “Over a period of time, they will be taken out of service and then transported over to Nigeria.”

The cars being considered for sale are the TTC’s old H-5 and H-6 models, which will be decommissioned as the TTC rolls out its new fleet of Rockets. Ross predicts the earliest they could be shipped to Nigeria is sometime in 2012.

Traffic snarls are already a major economic problem in the Nigerian capital, a booming city that will reach an estimated population of 25 million by 2015. A new above-ground rail system designed to carry 1.5 million people a day has already broken ground, and Lagos Governor Babtunde Fashola has said it “will be the most multi-dimensional and most impactful” of the government’s efforts to reduce traffic congestion.

Fashola visited Toronto earlier this year to inspect the TTC trains.

The Lagos deal would be the first of its kind for the TTC. Decommissioned cars are usually sold for scrap metal and can fetch up to $1,500 dollar each. While Ross declined to discuss specific figures,[size=13pt] he says the sticker price for Lagos is “significantly more” than scrap prices, putting the potential profits to the TTC in the millions of dollars. [/size]

It is not unusual for technology from western nations to end up in poorer countries. [size=13pt]Marketplaces in Africa and Asia are flooded with North American clothes, computers, and even cars, but the purchase of larger technology like trains is rarer.[/size] 

. . . . . .[size=13pt] Although half the cars are more than 30 years old, Ross is adamant they are perfectly safe and are only being decommissioned for capacity reasons. But he also admitted the TTC is not required to make sure the cars meet any safety standards before selling them.[/size]

“Once sold, it’s up to the new operator to ensure they are in good working order,” he said.[size=13pt] “They do need to be maintained much more frequently than the new trains, simply because of their age. At some point they will run out their useful life.”[/size]

Negro_Ntns:

This is first time we will have such infrastructure operating in Nigeria.  Rather than buying a 2012 model benz for the 17yr old new driver in the family, it makes sense, plenty of sense to pass down the family"s 1984 V boot mercedes to the young teenager.  It will provide an experimental and developmental challenge from which he/she can mature into trendy models of Mercedes Benz.  

Kobo start talking like you got some sense, instead of just arguing blindly!    

Kobojunkie:

You may want to first take your own advice there. Start talking like you got some sense instead of jumping in and arguing blindly like the many arses before you.

No one here has stated that it is absolutely out of the question to buy used. People buy used or refurbished items here daily. You are about the third numbskull I am having to inform on that here today.

Now when you go buying used, you do however need to ensure that what you are purchasing, you will more than surely get your money's worth out of. I gave several analogies on this -- will not repeat myself -- not even for you. Go back, do some actually reading up of the discussing so far before coming to rant like another market woman in heat.

I gave several analogies on this -- will not repeat myself -- not even for you

Look at the Yoruba protect their own like lemmings.

I see no difference between them and the aboki.

Kobojunkie:

You may want to first take your own advice there. Start talking like you got some sense instead of jumping in and arguing blindly like the many arses before you.

No one here has stated that it is absolutely out of the question to buy used. People buy used or refurbished items here daily. You are about the third numbskull I am having to inform on that here today.

Now when you go buying used, you do however need to ensure that what you are purchasing, you will more than surely get your money's worth out of. I gave several analogies on this -- will not repeat myself -- not even for you.  Go back, do some actually reading of up on what has been discussed so far, before coming to rant like another market woman in heat.

Negro_Ntns:

Eze, me chionu! Why are you and your ibo brethrens ungrateful? Looking left and right for vulnerabilities to exploit. [b]Fashola is far better than all Eastern govs put togethe[/b]r. . . . . you all leave the guy alone, we love him! We love all our Governors in West.

lucabrasi:

@topic
nigerians never cease to amaze me,as usual we leave the more serious to blindly tackle the sublime

in a state where the roads are virtual death traps
in a state where there are thrice the number of inhabitants using facilities
in a state where the main mode of transportation is the road
the man at least makes available an alternative and they are talking about it being used

why do nigerians patronise second hand clothes market in yaba and other areas when galleria,the palms and other boutiques selling brand new designers abound??
the canadians are totally right to make fun of us having their used trains,but we are not only using their used trains also their used cars,their used clothes their used generators in fact their used anything that can fit into a container like OYB said in the first page of this thread HOLD YOUR CLUELESS GEJ RESPONSIBLE AND STOP DENIGRATING A MAN WHO IS TRYING TO USE THE LIMITED RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HIM TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR LAGOSIANS!

i have seen people trekking more than 30/40/50 miles on a daily basis due to an inability to get a bus as recent as last year with okadas charging an arm and a leg
bus drivers charge people exorbitantly because they know majority of the commuters don't have a choice same as okada drivers

i would rather sit comfortably in a fairly used tram and get to my destination than thumb my nose at it and continue trekking almost 80miles on a daily basis
if you haven't worked in a man's shoes it is eminently difficult for you to theorise where it pinches,

ak47mann:



Bunch of criminals, crooks and dummies,why purchasing a scrap metal cars used during the cold war?so that yaribas will claim they got trains transport in Lagos,what a bunch of dunces,Yoruba ACN just using tax payers money to feed themselves fat while eko ile and co suffer in abject poverty,those Canadian company will be rolling on the ground as soon as those greedy monkeys left their office

WTF bring some old as cars to consume poor Lagosians,life worth nothing to these fools

Basseti:

Its not really a jump out of your chair moment if Fashola is going for used vehicles. Thats the modus operandi of Nigerians, we are professionals at recycling.
Lack of funds is  a  major limiting factor in purchasing new ones. However, at least the guy dey try for him state.

There are two issues for me here:

1) Did he know he would have gotten the vehicles at a much cheaper price? If he had done enough research, he might have gotten those stuff for real cheap especially if they are going to scrap anyways.

2) Since this is a state thing, does he have a long term plan for lagos transit and how does this short term move fit into the general picture. Simply put, how long does he think that those vehicles will last on the road before the transit system start raising enough money to gradually replace these vehicles with newer models.

Each of a TTC cars come versed with air conditioning, involuntary shifting doors, solid-state traction control, appetite saving regenerative braking, as good as a far-reaching operation of complicated reserve comforts as good as amenities. Once versed with a state-of-the-art, GPS-based sight carry out complement done by General Electric, Eko Rail’s trains will yield faster, safer, cheaper as good as some-more arguable travel for Lagosians.


As a electric-powered cars turn over-abundance as good as have been pulled offline in Toronto, they will be away trucked to a United States for a rebuilding by a group of world-class rail engineers. The cars will additionally bear track-width (or “gauge”) acclimatisation as good as interior refurbishment prior to being shipped to Lagos.


http://autofinancetoronto.com/eko-rails-trains-begin-journey-to-lagos/

ak47mann:

EKO NIBAJEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO   once the locomotive is converted from coal to electric,it will serve them mmmmmmmhh 4 yrs, by then na rocks dey go use to stop the train

ak47mann:

ok here is the pix

EKO NI BAJEOOOOOOOOOO