By Sola Ojewusi

It’s obvious that people in the Southwest have not fully woken up to it yet. But the pleasant surprise that the new Lagos-Ibadan railway has become must be celebrated and propagated.

Despite the fact that the facilities are yet to be fully completed, the trains are running smoothly and timely.

I travelled to Ibadan and needed to return to Lagos urgently for a meeting. The very thought of going through the unpredictable traffic logjam of the Lagos Ibadan Expressway was a huge headache when I decided to try the rails.

Really, I’ve heard pleasant stories of the railway renaissance along this corridor but like many others who had long lost confidence in the ability of the present crop of administrators to get the much necessary railway system right, I was skeptical about the new hype. Nevertheless, I decided to go for it, wats and all.

Dear friends, the ride was a pleasant surprise. Not only was the train arrival timely, the ticketing and other formalities at the Obafemi Awolowo Moniya Station were quite impressive.

Then we had a thrilling ride. Not only were the interiors of the train crisp clean and ultra modern, at least to an admissible level, the conveniences were excellent. The toilets were super clean and the coaches, fully air conditioned, were a traveller’s delight. You have categories of options from First Class to Standar class, depending on your pocket but no travellers exited that ride it the Mobolaji Johnson station in Lagos without a smile on their faces.

We are truly getting there but we must not rest on our oars. That anachronistic Railway Act of 1955 that makes railway services the sole purview of the FG must be repealed now to enable capable states or regions establish their own modern train services. We are no longer a nation in the 40s. We must liberalise our transport system now.

One up really for Amaech and his ministry and of course the leadership of the present President and his predecessor who started it all. Well done.

Meanwhile, I encourage you to try these trains. They are a breath of fresh air. We bring you pictures and videos from that cozy ride.