The Experience: My Journey to Rigasa (Kaduna State) from Kubwa (Abuja) Train Station
The Experience: My Journey to Rigasa (Kaduna State) from Kubwa (Abuja) Train Station
“Pilot, please I will alight at a place where I can get another flight straight to the railway station” I told the cab driver who was about to take me and other four passengers to Kubwa from Berger (Abuja). It was a cold morning just a day after New Year. My journey to Kaduna was for a business trip. One of my New Year goals or New Year plans was to at least travel by train, and here was a perfect opportunity to make that dream/plan/resolution come to pass. Whatever type of train travel, be it flight train, high speed train, normal speed train, regular passenger train, I don’t just care; “train na train…😃”. Though what we have here looks like the regular passenger train.
I got to Kubwa train station at about 8:45am much earlier than the scheduled time of 9:50am. For the first time since I began touring the whole world, I’ve not had a first class experience, and here was an opportunity to do so, but was disappointed when I was told that first class ticket is sold out…hmmm. (I later learnt that People called Ticket Racketeers do exist in this place also.) Well I had to opt for the one available, Economy Normal Class. “Make we jus go abeg, my blood de hot, as delay can be very dangerous”, I smiled to myself.
Inside the waiting hall, more were standing than those seated because of the few seat available. Provision was made for restroom and prayer room. A visit to the rest room shows that it was dilapidated to some extent. Should I say this was due to lack of maintenance or use of substandard materials or use of substandard contractors? One of this possibilities must be true!
(Recommendation: more seats should be provided to accommodate passengers, especially the elderly.)
Our train later arrived from Idu train station and we left Kubwa at about 10:25am. Don’t know the reason for the delay, what matters is that the train is here, and ‘Kaduna is a goal’.
Check different Train Schedule and Cost
Inside the train, as a first timer, I asked lots of questions on what each of the different “acronyms” written on the ticket meant. I was able to locate, first, my Coach, then my seat number. On this day, it was number 9. Each coach was divided into 2 columns, and on each side of a column, you will find 2 seats and 3 seats on a row respectively. The seat close to the window was what I actually wanted so as to have full view as we journeyed, but I was sandwiched between number 8 and 10. Being the first to get seated on our row, I thought very fast of what to tell whoever has the ticket to seat number 10. Then she came around with her heavy luggage. I immediately seized the moment and opportunity or whatever you want to call it and helped her keep her luggage safely. She thanked me, I nodded with a smile, then came my proposal…hahaha. “Please Ma, if you don’t mind, kindly allow me to switch places with you, I’d like to seat close to the window and have a full view outside while we travel.” And she said YES…”OMG 😲, I shouted loud in my mind”. Well who wouldn’t succumb to a well scripted humble plea such as this?…lol
The woman was with a baby, about a year plus who cried almost throughout the whole journey. Yours truly kept his cool, lol. Who Am I, in fact I cried playfully with him when he poured his juice on me, my clothes ate his biscuit and sweet with him, it was truly an experience. The woman did me a favour, so I had to be more tolerant than usual, before she changes her mind and take her seat back. The third passenger, a lady, who shared the same row with us, with seat number 8 suddenly disappeared after a while to where I don’t know. Probably because of the much interesting drama going on. I planned watching a movie or playing music from my device during the journey, but all this was not possible. Only thing I achieved was the full view of the “country side” as we journeyed to Rigasa, Kaduna State. Indeed, there will be a lot of cleaning to be done by the cleaners in our section in particular after this trip. We got to Rigasa some few minutes to 1:00pm.
The Experience: My Journey Back to Idu (Abuja) from Rigasa Train Station
Well, my ‘flight’ with the Keke Napep arrived Rigasa from Barnawa just in time at about some few minutes to noon. And I was greeted with a huge crowd that reminded me of a typical Nigerian Church crusade. I wanted to travel back on the 3rd trip which was scheduled for 2:00pm. “So for my inner mind, I came early”, I thought to myself. Well, almost 2 hours before a given time is early enough, ‘abi, no be so?’ But a shocker awaits me.
Check different Train Schedule
As usual, I inquired about what was going on from the security personnel around. According to him, “this people here na people weh wan go now now” he was invariably referring to the crowd that was close to the entrance. He went further, “de people weh you de see for the oda side, na people weh wan go for the next trip”. Yeah, this was the group I belong to. Now this group of waiting passengers were crowded in what looks like a line. Getting there, I learnt that ticket was sold out. Unbelievable! Sold Out? Like Seriously? I thought to myself. Well I spent almost the next 2 hours standing under the sun, waiting, as we, the Standing Organization of Nigerian Railway Corporation (SONRC) learnt that ticket will soon be on sale, but this time, for Standing. So I will have to stand the whole journey back. ‘This world is wicked, I thought aloud”. But I noticed that people were being “ushered in and given ticket secretly (codedly) or should I say, sold ticket to” Nawa for this Nigeria. Man know man continua….chai
(Recommendation: When we want to do something, we should consider doing it right and not haphazardly! The management or whoever is in charge of NRC should ensure that provision be made to passengers waiting to board train. There was no provision whatsoever for any seat for commuters to seat on. Before ‘pesin go faint under the sun one day’. I wonder what the rainy season will be like. Also, the activities of ticket racketeers should be checkmate)
At about a few minutes to 2:00pm, there was a rush. A mad rush that reminds one of the kind you witness in Lagos if there is no bus, especially from Oshodi to Mile 2. The booking clerk has suddenly started issuing out “standing tickets”. I join the rush, but almost got crushed, my God is alive, I shall not die now, not at this train station…lol. Tickets were sold for same price as those that paid for normal seat, even though ideally, it should go for half the price. I was lucky to finally get the “standing ticket”
Standing throughout a short journey can be stressful, not to mention a journey as this. A lot of thought flashed through my mind as I walked dejectedly to the coach and looked for a place to take over my “standing position”. Even more annoying was the fact that you see someone just alighting from a Keke, being given a ticket, very painful. I temporarily got seated in one of the not yet occupied seats, and prayed the rightful owners never come. But that dream was short lived as within 15 minutes, I resumed my “Standing position duty”. It was disheartening.
A woman with her two kids later invited me to join her. I hurriedly thanked her and rest my already tired bones. Who said God does not answer prayers…hahaha. She actually got two tickets, one for herself and the other for her older son, who was about 3 years old. So I was to share the seat with him. The young man was restless throughout the journey and I had to deploy all available ammunition of baby-sitting in my arsenal to keep him calm. “Uncle, rice, Uncle juice, Uncle….” Nawa for this kind journey ooo, I thought to myself. He will jump from one end of the coach to another, he will even go as far as run to the other coaches. Well that is the beauty of having kids around, no dull moments.
Finally, we arrived at Kubwa. I stayed behind so as to follow the train to Idu Train Station. I just wanted to explore. Idu train station was much bigger compared to that of Kubwa and Rigasa. It was truly an experience!
And the question is:
When are we going to move from this…
…..to this?
Disclaimer: All events recorded was the real life experience of the author, Onuzurike Chukwuagozie. Content must not be copied or duplicated without prior consent from the Author!
I’m a passenger like you and decided to put up this information to help Nigerians. I don’t work or have any affiliations with the Nigerian Railway Corporation, except you will like to recommend me 😃
From NRC Website:
🚄 TRAIN SCHEDULES AND FARES — Nigerian Railway Corporation
🚄 Nigerian Railway Corporation — Official Website
Onuzurike Chukwuagozie is an ICT consultant at Starlets Academy, an eCommerce Enthusiast and a Digital Marketer. | For Enquiries: 07035199394
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