Rossikk:

GEJ/SAMBO 2011

Did they ban your a** ROSSIKE? about time.

Kobojunkie:

We are spending Billions of dollars for 1970's legacy machines and people don't understand why in the year 2011, purchasing a machine that covers Lagos to Ibadan in 7 hours is nothing to shout praises for.

whoever that is not please with the giant strides being recorded by Gej administration should go to hell and leave the humble man to perform his duties. He is million times better than Gen Buhari.

Rossikk:

GEJ/SAMBO 2011

All the way, GEJ is our man.

Its just a positive step in the right direction which can be always be improved on, Wonder what all the past military dictators are coming back to do? hmmm
GEJ has my vote!!

All these multiple ID posters with 1 or 2 posts to their name sef

Reincarnation of Beaf in a multiple

ndu1988:

whoever that is not please with the giant strides being recorded by Gej administration should go to hell and leave the humble man to perform his duties. He is million times better than Gen Buhari.

Hey!! Learn to read, OK?

They only operate the trains once in every 4 years, once in March 2003, once in March 2007, once in March 2011.
Don't expect the train to operate until March 2015 if PDP is allowed to win this election.

DON'T BE FOOLED!!!!

where the train dey sef?



Have you travelled on the train recently?

Kobojunkie: We are spending Billions of dollars for 1970's legacy machines and people don't understand why in the year 2011, purchasing a machine that covers Lagos to Ibadan in 7 hours is nothing to shout praises for.

I beg help me tell them! Not only that, the trains are so slow that if you make the mistake of going by train, you may miss a vital appointment.

All those praising Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), forgive me if I do not join your thanksgiving. The NRC is one of the most clueless government owned agencies in Nigeria. How can they be celebrating the revival of diesel locomotive trains that spend 22 hours to carry passengers over a distance of 206 kilometres?

Have you been to their terminals lately? Their ticketing officers and information staff need further training to be able to impart useful information to customers and prospective passengers.

There is no information help desk, help line, leaflets or dedicated phone number that you can call to verify the intra-city of inter-state train schedules. Electronic visual display units that show when the next train is approaching, or the time table for departure and arrival do NOT exist.

Take Iddo terminus in Lagos, for example. All you have on display, are some typed sheets on a board showing the respective fares, “departure times” and train locations. If you make the mistake of thinking the information is up-to-date, you are in for a big shock.

As for the fine pictures of the diesel trains that are being shown on our local TV stations praising GEJ’s transformation agenda for our railway lines, omo, it is a big April fool joke that is trending in August.

Let me share my experience:

On Monday the 4th of August 2014, I left Ajah area in Lekki for Iddo terminus on Lagos mainland, oping to catch one of the executive coaches that are often shown as part of GEJ's transformation agenda which ply the Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta route, as I had an appointment with a client for 3pm.

I had searched on the internet to see if I could get the phone number of the NRC train station or the train schedules, but there was no relevant information on what I wanted. So I got to the Iddo station at 12:30pm.

I was directed to a small cubicle marked “INFORMATION”, where I met a female staff.

Me: Please I need to make a booking for the next train leaving for Lagos-Abeokuta. What time would it depart?

NRC Information Lady: Oh, the train going from Lagos – Abeokuta stopped running a long time agp.

Me: Ok, what about the train from Lagos – Otta? I can take a cab from Otta to Abeokuta.

NRC Information Lady: We do not have any train going from Lagos – Otta.

Me: Are you sure? I heard someone talking about going from Lagos – Otta via Ijoko just as I was coming in.

NRC Information Lady: Oh, we have a train from Lagos – Ijoko, I didn’t know that is what you meant.

Me: But Ijoko is close to Otta, now. What time does it depart? Are there executive coaches available as I want to go by first class coach which I understand, has airconditioning and good seats. I have an appointment in Abeokuta, so if I can get to ijoko Otta by train, I will get a cab from there to Abeokuta.

NRC Information Lady: Well, MMT should leave at 2pm, then there is another one that leaves at 4.15pm. None of them has air-conditioning. The DMT are the only ones that have air-conditioners, good seats without attachment.

Me: What is MMT and DMT? And when do these DMTs leave?

NRC Information Lady: MMT is mass transit trains, while DMT is the Diesel Mass Transit. The DMT are the executive coaches. They leave Iddo for Otta at 7.30am and 5.30pm.

Me: Don’t they run during other hours of the day? Listen, I need to be in Otta to be able to catch a cab to Abeokuta.

NRC Information Lady: Ah, ah, why are you getting worked up? Just follow me to the notice board. See, (reeling out each location like a kindergarten pupil) we do not have trains to Offa, Abeokuta, Ilorin etc… If you can get to EBJ, maybe you can get a 3pm train to where you are going..

Me: (thoroughly exasperated) I am not going to Offa! Who said anything about Offa??! I asked for information about the train schedule to Otta. And why are you talking about Ilorin? And what is EBJ?

NRC Information Lady: (throws her hands in the air) Han..ha! Are we fighting? I thought you said Offa, ok so you actually mean Otta! Ehm, EBJ is Ebute Metta Junction…. If you don’t know something just ask! Oya, go to the next counter and ask for the train fare!

Alright o! So I headed for the next counter…and that was when the story changed.

Me: Please how much is the fare to Otta?

Ticketing Officer: There is no train to Otta.

Me: Ok, I hear there is a train going to Ijoko, which is not far from Otta. How much is the fare?

Ticketing Officer: Go and check on that board.

Me: But you are the ticketing officer. You should be able to tell me the fare.

Ticketing Officer: [/b]Ok, the next train leaves at 2pm. The fare is 450 naira.

[b]Me: Has it arrived?

Ticketing Officer: Let me check. (He turns to speak to someone behind him) Oh, I learnt it just left.

Me: (aghast) What??!! I have been here at the information desk for over 1 hour. Why wasn’t I told? Don’t you have loudspeakers announcing train arrivals and departures? Isn’t there a screen where departure times and arrivals of approaching trains are clearly listed? Don’t you have a direct line or help line where anyone can phone ahead to get information before arriving at the Iddo station?

Ticketing Officer: Screen? Haba! Telephone line, ke? Where? Here? There is nothing like that! I only have my own GSM. And I bought it with my own money. That is all. Ne-ee-ext passenger!!

To say I was stunned, was an understatement. In the year 2014, NRC is still being run like a yam seller's stall at Ogbete market. I weak o!