Of all the various modes of transportation, the railway is the most efficient in the movement of goods and commodities, especially within a landlocked area. The railway is also efficient in convening passengers from their origin to their destinations.



Undoubtedly, a train, moving on a railway track, has a greater advantage over other modes of transportation. In terms of bad weather, there is absolutely no effect it has on the train, unlike what we experience in our airports; such as flight cancellations. In addition, in a situation of high tides in the sea, a captain of a ship could find it difficult to navigator through the waters, therefore, these instances underscores the importance of the train. No wonder, the Eurostar, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel, a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel l Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France. The Eurostar convenes commuters to work and brings them back to their homes on a daily basis.

In Nigeria, with a population of over 160 million people, has a poorly developed railway system. The pressure on Nigerian roads is too much which has led to wear and tear of asphalt road surfaces, which have manifested in the degree of bad roads all over the country. Effective and efficiently managed railway system is capable of improving the transportation system of the country. This will not only reduce the pressure on our roads, but will boast the economy of the nation while creating more jobs in the transport sector.

Although the outgoing administration has taken a bold step in revitalizing the railway system, however, all hands must be on deck in order to the system to be sustainable. A friend of mine who travelled from Enugu to Kaduna happened to engaged in a conversation with me. His name is Moses, and he bought a first class ticket for just N1800, travelled from Enugu to Kaduna on a comfortable and air-conditioned train. He was very happy to have travelled on train where he could move around inside the train when bored, and could also stretch his legs on this long distance journey, unlike one who travels on bus and finds it difficult to stretch his or her legs. This little story I just shared with you exposes how conducive travelling on train is and the high esteem accompanying it.

Trains are safer than cars and modern trains are even faster than cars and trains can carry more people at a time while reducing the pressure on our roads. A well-developed railway system where the private sector is made to operate, will lead to a great employment in the sector. Logistics of goods from one part of the country to another will be easily done.

It is surprising to note that just a few Nigerians are aware of the benefits the railway system has to over. This has led to the low percentage of usage of railways. In order to enlighten the general public, below is a list of states in Nigeria currently where trains move;

 Nigerian Railway Corporation operates a network of 3,505 kilometers (2,178 mi) of single track lines, all have 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge. The network comprises the following lines:

So next time you want to get on a journey, why not feel free and explore the train. It is all fun, comfortable and the experience is worthwhile!