The two trains run 74 trips daily from 6.30 am to 11 pm. Mile 2 to Marina and back. No cash. Only the Cowry card is used for payment at the entry point. You swipe it on the detector for the turnstile flaps to open. It immediately shows you how much you have left. You will need to swipe again at your arrival station before the final amount is deducted from your card. Purchase your Cowry card at the train station ticket offices and load it with money. I bought mine at the TBS BRT station for ₦1k. Marina to Mile 2 presently costs a discounted rate of ₦565. Time: 25 minutes. The train stopped briefly at 3 stations (Alaba, Orile, National Theatre Iganmu) to pick up or drop passengers. You’ll also use the Cowry card for the large and small Lagos buses called BRT. I keep track of my expenses and load my card using the Cowry app on my phone.
After passing through the turnstile, we walked down the stairs or elevator to stand by the rails. Station officials cautioned everyone to stand behind the yellow line. Watching the gleaming blue train swoosh in is such an awesome feeling!!!! 😘😘 It is so beautiful—a beautiful sleeky flying dragon.
Two ‘restaurants’ are at the Marina station. I sometimes sit in the cold, cosy enclave to take Fanta and meat pie. They sell pastries, snacks, and drinks—none at Mile 2 station. There is ample space for more cute shops at all the stations. The downside is that it is difficult to find public buses that’ll drop you off or pick you up at the Marina station if you don’t have a friend to help out there. The large BRT does not stop to pick anyone up there. The small white BRT korope buses only pick up passengers in the morning rush hour of 7-9 am. After that, OYO l’owa. Public buses will drop you off at CMS and you’d have to trek and trek and trek for 30 minutes to reach the Marina station. In the dark, it is like a horror movie walking that lonesome journey. The Lagos state government needs to improve accessibility to connecting public transport in that area like having dedicated Keke tricycles/korope for just that Marina station – CMS.
The Mile 2 station is easy to access via public buses or Keke Maruwa. They have garages and bus stops just beside the station. The Mile 2 train station is also close to interstate bus hubs. Once you get to the Marina station, you will find several small BRT buses going to Falomo or Eko Hotel, or four other destinations. Join the queue and swipe your card to board. Rush hours are in the morning and night. Suppose you want a leisurely ride; it is best to board in the afternoon. When I am going to work in the early morning, the rush and crowd are much. If you don’t rush in, you won’t get a seat, and you’d have to stand all through the trip. When I board in the afternoon, the train cars are usually comfier, and the ride is more enjoyable. I wish they could give priority to elderly folks and PWD because I don’t know how they’d cope in that kind of molue type of rush.
There were plain clothes olopa and LNSC security in every train car. They, however, have a problem with hawkers and beggars along the linking pedestrian bridges. Then, the environment surrounding the stations is not a beauty to behold: Dirty bus garages, bad roads, and street traders, especially at Mile 2. There were 4 flat screen TVs in each train car showing football, music vids, comedy shows, and ads. The trains need to add more content abeg! If you’re a regular, you’d have watched it all and been bored stiff. An enjoyable experience. At last, a way to avoid mad Lagos traffic. Well done, Lagos State Government. I hope the red line linking to the airport will be available very soon so that we can colour the airport red with our Ajala travel vibes.
- Oluwaseyi Artemis Alade is an artist and author
