There was heavy human traffic at Lagos and Abuja train stations on Thursday following the Federal Government’s announcement of free rides for passengers as part of the Yuletide celebration.

In addition to the free train rides, President Bola Tinubu, also approved a 50 per cent discount for inter-state road travel, effective from December 21 to January 4, 2024.

Also, two inter-state transport companies slashed their fares as part of the agreement with the government.

Our correspondents, who were at the Mobolaji Johnson, Lagos, and Abuja stations, confirmed that a train, designed to accommodate 648 passengers, recorded a surplus leading to some individuals standing without seats.

While standing passengers are not a regular occurrence at the station, the surge, attributed to heightened traffic, prompted this unusual situation.

Officials at the station informed the newsmen that a similar situation is being anticipated during Friday’s (today’s) commute.

The train service connecting Lagos to Abeokuta and Ibadan runs twice daily, departing at 8 am and 4 pm while commuters heading for Kajola could board the evening service train which departs at 6:30 pm.

“Not all the passengers who successfully booked tickets online were able to board the train to Ibadan and Abeokuta. Some couldn’t enter the train because the crowd was too much,” a ticketing officer informed the newsmen.

The officer added, “The crowd today was massive, with expectations of even more passengers tomorrow, given the free service. No payment is required; passengers only need to book online. For those going to Kajola, they were given a ticket here.”

Before President Tinubu’s announcement, train fares from Lagos to Ibadan previously cost N3,600 for economy class; N6,500 for business class; and N9,000 for first class.

A security officer said some passengers who arrived as early as 7am faced the challenge of the overwhelming crowd.

“For those planning to travel tomorrow (today), it is advised to arrive early, ideally by 6:30 am, to cope with the anticipated large number of people,” he advised some passengers who missed the train.

Another ticketing officer told our correspondent, “If you try to book the ticket now, I am not sure it will be successful because of the huge traffic. The 8am ticket tomorrow must have been all booked by now.”

Officials confirmed that the e-ticketing platform recorded glitches due to high levels of traffic, which prevented many passengers from booking tickets.

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