Travelling from Lagos to Ibadan and vice versa just got boujee as new trains have officially opened up for commercial business!

The Nigerian Railway Corporation had initially done some free test rides in December 2019 but I couldn’t try it so I made sure i did when I heard they were operating once again.

I didn’t have enough information about the operations but I knew they left from Moniya, Ibadan to Lagos by 8am so I had to wake up super early because Moniya is at the outskirts of town. I’ve compiled the necessary information you would need to make the trip:

1. Take off station in Ibadan is Moniya Train Station while in Lagos its Ebute Metta Train Station.

2. You purchase your tickets at the station and you need a valid means of ID to get one.

3. Current ticket Price is #2500 for economy coach,  #5000 for business Coach and #6000 for VIP coach.

4. Economy Coach is 88 seater, Business Coach has 56 and 68 seater, VIP Coach is 24 seater.

5. Current duration of journey is 2 hours 40 minutes because they are not running on full speed yet. Once they run on full speed, it would only take 1 hour, 20 minutes.

6. They are currently doing just one trip per day. During weekdays, they take off from Ibadan to Lagos at 8am and return by 4pm but on Saturday, they leave Lagos 8:30am and return from Ibadan by 6pm.

7. There is only one stop in between for now and that’s at Abeokuta. They pick people at the Abeokuta station on the way to Ibadan and Lagos.  They would have other stops once they finish construction and structuring.

8. The train is fully equipped with AC, Toilets, Charging Spaces and Television.

9. The terminals are still under construction especially the one at Moniya, so people have to wait outside after buying tickets before they board the train.

10. This is not the permanent schedule yet hence there should be changes in 2021.

This was my first train experience and I loved it. It was convenient and exciting and I’m happy at this development in our country. However I personally think the least fares are a bit pricey and I hope that the trains are maintained properly.

The Current Pros and Cons of The Ride

THE PROS:

• The Train is very convenient and the ride is comfortable.
• There are rest rooms, charging ports, ACs, TV and Music.
• The ride is straight forward and traffic free.
• It has a large capacity and can transport a lot of people at a time.

THE CONS:

• There is currently just one ride daily from each State and I think the timing is a bit off.
• There are no stop overs stations except in Abeokuta.
• The train station in Ibadan is a bit far from the city.
• The train is currently slow. Two hours, 40 minutes is a looooong time for a straight journey from Lagos to Ibadan.
• I don’t think the average Nigerian would be able to conveniently afford the rides.