Lagos-Ibadan Railway is an important railway route in South West Nigeria.
The railway line is a double track standard gauge rail, the biggest in West African sub-region.It is the first part of a new 2,773-km Lagos-Kano standard gauge line. Lagos-Ibadan railway was built by Chinese which the construction started in 2007, and it is built to link Nigeria's southwestern cities of Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan. It was officially commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2021.
The train is fully air-conditioned with newly-acquired coaches and locomotives. The train trip runs from Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan.
It has three major train stations. The Mobolaji Johnson Station which is the largest railway station in West Africa with a holding capacity of 6000 passengers, Wole Soyinka Train Station at Abeokuta, Chief Obafemi Awolowo Station, Moniya, Ibadan.
The travel time from Lagos-Abeokuta-Ibadan is 2 hours with a 5-minute stop at Abeokuta.
Passengers should ensure they get to the train station about 40 minutes before the boarding time because sales of ticket is still done manually and there is a heavy queue at the station for purchase of tickets. You must have your identification card before you can purchase a ticket and you must wear a nose masks.
Fares (July 2022):
Lagos to Ibadan (Zone 1-2)
Lagos to Abeokuta (Zone 1)
Abeokuta to Ibadan (Zone 2)
As of July 2022, the LITS runs only 2 trips a day. Official schedule for the trains are as follows:
Weekends
Weekdays
A trip from Lagos to Ibadan or Ibadan to Lagos ordinarily takes about 2½ hours, with a stopover in Abeokuta.
The Lagos-Ibadan train can travel at 150 km/h. The coaches are fully air-conditioned and they are fitted with three overhead television screens. The interior of the train is welcoming and the seats are quite comfortable. There is a rack above every seat to keep your luggage. The widows of the train have a curtain to prevent sun ray during the sunny days. The toilets are clean and well-equipped. There are power sockets at the side of each seats for passengers to charge their phones. Also worthy of note is the attentive crew. In case of any emergencies, there are nurses on board.
For the business class and the executive class, the seats have arm rest, the back rest of the seats is adjustable and all the coaches have a dedicated toilet and wash hand basin for any passenger who wants to wash their hands. There is a small kitchenette for passengers to get water and make coffee.
You should ensure you keep your luggage well for security purposes. Don't patronise touts for your tickets, go directly to the sales point to purchase your ticket. Ensure you carry some cash as no card payment is available yet (as of December 2021).