Top 10 Train Stations in Nigeria

One of Nigeria’s key transportation networks (train stations) connects the country’s largest cities and facilitates the flow of merchandise inside the country. In the late 1800s, colonial Britain pioneered this kind of transportation.

The country’s railways and train stations are presently being modernized, giving them a whole new dimension. The country is also extending its rail lines and train stations since the system now links various states and cities for enhanced and quicker transit. The Western Line, which stretches from Lagos on the Bight of Benin to Nguru in Yobe’s northern state, is the longest rail line in Nigeria.

The top ten train stations in Nigeria, as well as their locations, are listed below in no particular order.

Metro Station in Abuja (Federal Capital Territory)

Abuja Rail Mass Transit, often known as Abuja Light Rail, is located in the Federal Capital Territory.

It is the first rapid transit system in the country and West Africa, and the second in Sub-Saharan Africa (after Addis Abeba Light Rail). The first phase of the project involves building a train line from the Abuja-Kaduna train station in Idu to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The Abuja Metro Line was inaugurated on July 12, 2018, and made public the following week.

Aba Train Station (Abia State)

Aba Railway Station in Abia State is a railroad hub. The Crest Hotel is conveniently located near the Aba Railway Station.

Funtua Train Station (Katsina State)

Katsina State is home to the Funtua Local Government Area. The A126 is in Funtua village, which is served by a branch of Nigeria’s national railroad network.

Kano Train Station (State of Kano)

The Northern Nigeria Protectorate government built the Baro-Kano Railway between 1908 and 1911, and it was used as the major rail transit route from Baro in what is now Niger State to the emporium of Hausa territory Kano (in modern Kano State) in 1912.

The Lagos-Kano train station and railway, established by the Lagos Colony (later Southern Nigeria Protectorate), was Nigeria’s first railway. Later, the British colonial administration, represented by Frederick Lugard, joined the Baro-Kano Railway with the Lagos Government Railway to form the Nigerian Railway Department, a national railroad network (later renamed Nigerian Railway Corporation in the 1950s).

Lagos State Apapa Train Station

The train station is expected to aid in export, reduce traffic on port access roads, facilitate cargo evacuation from ports, and reduce major financial losses caused by port bottlenecks.

The project, which is being carried out by AMP Terminals and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), is intended to run alongside the present narrow gauge railway from Apapa Seaport to the NRC terminal in Yaba.

Daily deliveries of 500 wet and dry cargoes are expected. This might reduce the volume of freight traveling on roadways.

Lagos (Lagos State) Terminus

Until 2021, Lagos Terminus, also known as Lagos Iddo, operated as the city’s major train station. The train station is located in the city center on Iddo Island, near Lagos Island.

The station, which is located close to the Lagos Lagoon and in front of the Carter Bridge, has a large two-story terminal structure. It also has two train sheds, one directly outside the station platforms and the other, bigger, two kilometers north, near the Yaba station.

The rail gauge (1,067 mm) is small, and neither the line servicing Lagos Terminus nor the entire national network is electrified. Long-distance and commuter trains end at Lagos Station, including the flagship express train to Kano, 1,126 kilometers north of Lagos. A high-speed, standard gauge route from Lagos to Abuja was proposed for the early 2010s as part of Nigeria’s railroads’ expansion strategy.

Abeokuta Train Stations, Ogun State

It was constructed in 1896 to provide easy access between the country’s southern and northern areas. If you want to go by rail from Ogun State to Lagos, Port Harcourt, or other cities, you should start here.

Lagos Train Station (Yaba, Lagos State)

The Lagos-Ibadan railway line is West Africa’s first double-track, standard gauge rail line. It marks the commencement of a new 2,773-kilometer standard gauge route between Lagos and Kano. The freshly installed train provides fully air-conditioned train services. At Ebutte Metta, Yaba, Lagos, the rail station is also known as the Mobolaji Johnson Station.

It is worth noting that purchasing a ticket at the counter necessitates the use of a face mask and the possession of an identity card, such as a passport, national ID, work ID, or voter’s card.

Ibadan Train Stations (Ibadan)

Ibadan Train Station was built in 1896. Chief Obafemi Awolowo Station, Moniya, Ibadan is the new name for the station.  If you want to go by train to Lagos and other states, you should start here.

Ilorin Train Stations (Kwara State)

Offa is located southeast of Ilorin, the state capital of Kwara. It is around 56 kilometers from the state capital. Furthermore, it is just 215 miles (344 kilometers) from Lagos via the South/North (SN) rail link. Geographically, it is a “gap town,” and it has long been an important train depot station. Offa is recognized as the entry point to Nigeria’s traditional Northern Region.