Three rehabilitated lines have resumed scheduled passenger service this year, and travellers are rediscovering the towns between the terminals.

The overnight service leaves the coast as the light goes and arrives inland after breakfast. It is slower than the road and considerably cheaper, and for the towns along the route it is the first scheduled transport in years.

Operators report occupancy above eighty per cent on weekend departures, driven less by tourism than by family travel and small traders moving goods in quantities the road informally penalises.

What the journey is like

Carriages are basic and punctuality is improving rather than solved. Food is bought at platform stops, which has created a small economy of vendors timed to the timetable.

Travellers should book at the station a day ahead on popular routes, carry cash, and expect limited connectivity for long stretches.

“People come for the price and leave talking about the towns they never knew existed.”Yakubu Danladi, station manager, Minna terminal

Where next

A fourth line is scheduled to reopen for passenger service before the end of the year, extending the network toward the northern border.

Sources and documents

  • Nigerian Railway Corporation timetables
  • Operator passenger figures shared with NewsRoomUpdate

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