By Ben Agande

Abuja—The Federal Government, yesterday, took a major step towards connecting major towns and cities in the country to rail transportation as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approved a N1.3 billion contract for feasibility studies for the construction of standard rail gauge system across the country.

Addressing newsmen at the end of the weekly meeting of the council, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said when completed the rail gauge, which would cover 4,430 kilometres, would be along six rail corridors.

Maku, who was joined by the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, disclosed that the rail corridors were part of the 25 years strategic railway development policy.

Senator Umar added that the feasibility studies would encompass such scope as the viability of the rail project, identification of business and economic activities along the six rail corridors and other incidentals.

He explained that the corridors to be covered in the feasibility studies include Kano/Dai/Jimbia, (354 kilometres); Ilela/Sokoto/Jega / Kontagora (408kilometres); Aba/Ikot Ekpene/Itu/Uyo/Udupkani/Calabar (340 kilometres).

Others include Kano/ Nguru/Gashua/ Damaturu/Maiduguri/Gamburu Ngala (707 kilometres); Calabar/ Ikom/Obudu/Ogoja/Katsina Ala/Wukari/Jalingo/Yola/ Maiduguri (1669 kilometres) and Port Harcourt/Aba/Umuahia/ Enugu/Lafia/Jos/Bauchi/Biu/Maidiguri (550 kilometres)

Other areas to be covered by the studies include proposal for the alignment and connec-tions of the urban and commercial settlements along the proposed routes, among others.