THIS TRAIN SERVICE IS A SUPER FEAT....BUT..,by Tope Adaramola.

It's no longer news that the new train service from Lagos to Ibadan is a great relieve to persengers, especially those habitually  traversing Lagos to Ibadan and vice versa. Not even with the hellish experience on the express way these days, compounded by the rains and the Muslim Ileya festival. There had been horrendous reports of many who spent close to seven hours commuting  a road that ordinarily should have taken maximum of two hours. That's what successive leaders have bequeathed to us, and for which plaudits must be given to Buhari regime, inspite of the barrage of image minuses which the regime has attracted to itself.  

This is no doubt my third time experience using the train to Lagos from.Abeokuta. It was quite an experience to relish. The staffers, though overwhelmed, were courteous. The coaches are still pretty new and all it's facilities excellent. However, the rush that characterised the movement today was heart aching. The Nigerian in us started manifesting. Many purchased tickets but without seats allocated to them. Expectedly, they took it in good fate, probably seeing themselves lucky to have been saved from the gnashing of teeth on the hellish Lagos Ibadan express way. The chilly air-condition  provided the succour or soothening that many needed from the hassles of boarding the train. Many started sleeping as soon as the train moved.

On the whole, it was a delectable experience for me as the train made a stop at my destination at Wole Soyinka Station, Laderin, Abeokuta while it proceeded to Ibadan. It is my hope that as finishing touches are put to this means of transportation it would alleviate poverty, yield more revenue, preserve our roads as well as reduce avoidable deaths. If after four years of helping to fix similar rail system by the Chinese, Kenya has recouped her money, then we should be able to do better. My only fear as to enduring enjoyment of this infrastructure is the pejorative epiteth : "the Nigerian factor" which has multifarious definitions, depending on how each person sees it!