Travelling by train may seem like a novel idea today, but that was not the case a century ago. Nigeria under British Rule got its first railway network that passed through Lagos, Benin, Port-Harcourt, and Maiduguri. Both the tracks and trains deteriorated over the years due to the usual suspect, lack of maintenance. For a period of time, the most regular rail route operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation was from Lagos to Kano. The coaches were subpar and several rail renovation projects began and ended without results.
With the opening and publicizing of the Abuja to Kaduna train route, train travel is back in fashion again. The closure for repairs of The Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja doubled the number of passengers in the months that followed. Even after the airport has re-opened, traveling via the Abuja-Kaduna train is still popular. On our way to Kaduna Town, a group of us bought first class coach tickets to have a taste of the experience.
Here are five lessons that stood out as we began our first Abuja to Kaduna Rail Adventure.
Lesson 1: You may encounter difficulties buying tickets for others.
Buying tickets for passengers traveling with you should be a simple transaction. However, be warned that the ticket agents don’t particularly like doing this. Our tour operator, Damola of Irinajo Tours had a hard time convincing them to sell 5 additional tickets for the rest of us who were flying from Lagos to Abuja. Eventually, they acquiesced, but he had quite the encounter.
Lesson 2: Give yourself time to get to the Train Station, located on the outskirts of town.
It is a well-known fact that most airports are situated clear on the other side of town. Interestingly, both the train station in Abuja (Idu) and that of Kaduna (Rigassa) share this similarity. We took the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja and arrived way ahead of our 11:55 pm scheduled train. Uber came to the resecue for the journey from the airport to Idu train station. While, it was an adventure seeker’s delight to explore the sights and scenery of Abuja during the ride, prepare for a long haul to the other side of town.
Lesson 3: Prepare for a delay or two or none.
Some passengers have been left behind because the train departed right on time. In our case, our 11:55pm departure time was moved to 1pm and then rescheduled to 2:20pm. There was good company in the form of books, chatter, and fellow passengers. There were families with children, young people, and older passengers. The waiting lounge at the Idu Station is similar to that of an airport. A comfortable lounge makes delays more bearable.
Lesson 4: Take the long walk to the Coach.
To get to the train coach, a long walk awaits. Traveling with comfortable shoes is required and you have to be ready to climb several flights of steps. This is when you can truly appreciate the beauty of the station. The floors are clean and well-polished. There are clear yellow and black signs telling you where to go, and the ever-present clock that makes train stations iconic.
Lesson 5: Take advantage of provisions to enhance the riding experience
We sat in assigned seats as pairs in the First-Class compartment. The chairs were very comfortable with overhead bins for stowing away luggage. There are several mini-television screens suspended along the aisles. A paying bar stocked with food and drinks is positioned at the tail-end of the compartment. Delicious scents of Jollof rice and meat pies wafted through the air as we sped through the tracks. For some reason, the curtains that shield riders from the sun’s impact were out for a wash and we made do with dark sunglasses. Along the way, there were 5-minute stops at Kubwa, Asham, and Ijere to pick up more passengers before heading directly to the Rigassa station in Kaduna.
The entire trip took about 2 hours. At a price of N1, 500, we got to see the beauty of Abuja’s countryside and travelled with ease in air conditioned train coaches. That is a rare find in Nigeria. Of course, there are still several unanswered questions.
Why was Rigassa chosen as the endpoint for the railway tracks as opposed to a more popular town like Zaria? Will the China Civil Corporation also be contracted to resuscitate several railway projects that have gone under in the country? Is there a possibility of introducing Free WiFi on the coaches to further enhance travelers’ experience? Time will tell what the future holds for the Abuja-Kaduna train system.
As our hired car pulled away from Rigassa station, sparse lowlands transitioned to built-up settlements. What we did and saw in Kaduna Town is the subject of the next article in the BusinessDay Travel Nigeria series.
