Free Railway Ride for Commuters From Lagos To Ibadan

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) on Wednesday provided free train ride to many passengers between Lagos and Ibadan, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

It was to re-launch the NRC’s inter-state rail services that have remained comatose for years, until the recent rehabilitation of facilities, including the purchase of 10 new locomotive engines.

According to a NAN correspondent on the train ride, 10 coaches, including one for first class passengers, set out on the trip.

NAN also reports that though the train left Iddo terminus at 9.40 a.m. with just about 100 passengers, it was expected to pick more passengers at virtually every railway station along the road.

Initially meant to go as far as Ilorin in Kwara, the free train ride was reduced to just Lagos-Ibadan for technical hitches discovered after a test-run by the Lagos district on Monday.

“We cannot vouch for the safety of the rail after Ibadan, for now,” said Dan Dottie, Lagos Railway District Manager.

Dottie said subsequent train rides from Lagos would, however, go all the way to Ilorin as the identified problem was being swiftly tackled.

The free train ride is to last for a week.

President Goodluck Jonathan had on March 12 launched the new railway services at the NRC Headquarters in Iddo and thereafter took a 90-km train ride to Abeokuta, Ogun for his campaign rally.