Wisconsin Talgos are going to Nigeria

[jis]

Looks like the Wisconsin Talgos have been sold to Nigeria...

Talgo’s Wisconsin Trains Find Home In… Nigeria

Intended for high-speed Midwest line, they'll be used on metro line in Lagos.

urbanmilwaukee.com

Seems like the next to last act in the Talgo in the US saga.

 

[John Bredin]

I'm glad to hear someone will be using them in passenger service rather than scrapping them. It looks like this service will be about the same length as the Hiawatha but with bigger cities at each end.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Although the path followed to reach this point was painful to watch, this repurposing is hard to see as anything other than a positive result compared to the outcome of watching brand new trains turned into scrap.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

I wonder if Wisconsin got a call from a Nigerian Prince?

Interesting, they do have a new rail line that has been built with Chinese funding (I think that there are cab view videos available), from Lagos to, iirc, Kano (inland city).

 

[Dutchrailnut]

 

[WICT106]

I'm sorry to see them leave. It makes me even more unhappy with Scott Walker, but I digress.

 

[Cal]

Interesting that they're going to be in a metro service instead of intercity rail..

 

[Chris I]

Interesting that they're going to be in a metro service instead of intercity rail..

It sounds like a commuter rail style service? I'm searching but I can't find many details on the planned route. Does anyone have details?

 

[MikefromCrete]

Trains News Wire said it was a 23-mile route, so its more commuter than intercity.

 

[John Bredin]

It sounds like a commuter rail style service? I'm searching but I can't find many details on the planned route. Does anyone have details?

Here's an article with some details. And here's the Wikipedia article on the system.

My first googling yesterday for "new Lagos railway" came up almost entirely with a new Lagos-Ibadan intercity railway, and I guessed the Talgos were for that. About 90 miles apart, similar to the Hiawatha, made sense to me. Nope.

 

[cirdan]

I wonder if they are purchasing them with the Talgo service agreements in place.

I understand RENFE sold some surplus Talgos to Argentina some years ago but that the service was stopped when it turned out the service charges were cripplingly high.