REAIDENCY DIARIES 10- TRAIN TRIP To LAGOS

 THE TRAIN TRIP TO LAGOS 

A little over a month ago, I arrived in Iseyin in Oyo State, Nigeria to begin a Writing Residency slated for the months of March and April. 

Slowly but the steadily, the days rolled over quickly and all too soon, the residency ended on the 20th of April. I had so much fun getting immersed in my writing projects that I didn't see the end date in sight. 

I guess that's what happens when you are sold out to a course that engages your soul. Having realised my fay's were over I begun planning my trip to Lagos. 

The program administrator mentioned the option of travelling to Lagos via train and I was immediately sold out. The last time I was on a train was in May 2016 when I arrived the O.R. Tambo Airport in South Africa and needed to continue to Sandton. The Gauteng train experience still remains one of the beautiful train experiences I had ever had during that trip. 

So, when the Residency program administrator gave me the option, I welcomed it wholeheartedly,  hoping to relive my Gauteng Train experience in South Africa. 

And boy...did the Nigeria Railway Authority disappoint? Nope. They delivered. Having stayed in Nigeria for a little over a month, I had seen a lot and felt things were not too organised as I would love to see. But the train experience beat me to my preconceived perception. They were on point. 

At the sight of the Obafemi Awolowo Station in Ibadan, I was excited. I loved the architecture. It was welcoming and warmly. My host and I made an entry into the spacious and fully air-conditioned auditorium to get tickets for our trip, and it was well ordered and organised. 

They had ticket sale booths for First class, Business class and Standard class. You could purchase from any booth as designated. They inspected and registered passengers with their national Identity cards. 

The train was scheduled to set off at 8:00am and it did so at exactly 8am on the dot. A trip train from Ibadan to Lagos is approximately 2hrs:45mins as compared to a 4hrs bus trip which could even be more when there is heavy vehicular traffic. 

It was love at first sight When I bored the train. The interior design is beautiful and the ambiance welcoming.The trian is beautifully furnished with good seats, fully air conditioned, with a two hanging TV sets in each cabin. 

It also had USB ports for charging of phones and other electronic gadgets and a place of convenience (toilet) at the end of each cabin. 

They have on board trained and qualified nurses to attend to passengers in case of any medical emergencies. Also on board, are security officers who join the ticket inspectors to double check tickets as well as ensure no miscreants are on board the train, all in an effort to ensure the safety of passengers. 

Like on a plane, they had announcers relaying information and alerting passengers on the various stations the third will stop. Another thing worthy of mention is that the various train stations along the route were named in honour of illustrious Nigerians. 

Some very commendable I have seen in Nigeria. They are big on recognising and celebrating their heroes or legends by naming things after them. 

Just when I thought the Ibadan station was a thing of beauty, I alighted at the Lagos station and was blown away. After stepping out of the trian and onto the platform, we were directed to an elevator that connected us to the exit. I explored the station and can say the Mobilaji Johnson Station is equally an architectural make up of beauty. 

Being overly excited about it, I asked the meaning of the name. I was told that Mobolaji means; 'I wake up with wealth'. Upon hearing that, I told my host, I am adopting Mobolaji as my Nigerian name.  

All in all, it was an experience worth having. It is one of the highlights of my stay in Nigeria. I loved the order displayed at the train stations and I wish the same level of organisation and order is replicated at the Nigerian Airport and Bus staitions.