I took the train for the first time and I’ll be doing it over and over again.
I’ve always had this misconception about how fast the speed of a train is. I don’t know who made me believe that a train never stops or uses the brake but I just grew up believing that lie.
Because of this misconception, I never looked forward to going on any train trip, I’d say I had a mini phobia for trains.
Also, especially seeing how really terrible their accidents can be, I completely ruled experiencing it out.
Not so fortunately for me, I had to travel using the train to Kaduna for my NYSC because my parents didn’t like the idea of me traveling by road. Everyone said it was the faster and a safer option so I went with it.
I was traveling with my older sister’s friend so he made the entire first time experience easier.
The train was to leave by 8:45am but it’s required to be at the train station 30minutes before boarding time.
I arrived at the train station just in time, did the required search and waited to board.
The trip was a smooth one and i enjoyed every bit of it. I got the window seat in the business class section and it made my experience even better. I was a bit scared and shaky when the train started moving but I tried to get used to it. It felt like my legs were completely off the ground and the swaying can be a bit scary.
It’s like when you experience taking off in an aircraft for the first time and also turbulence in the air. Although the train is a lot less scary but it’s similar feeling.
My favorite part about the train experience is how there’s a restaurant literally on board. I found it really amusing a few passengers would get up from their seats and eat a full course meal at the restaurant.
The waitresses also use a trolley to advertise pastries like chicken pie, meat pie, shawarma, small chops and drinks for passengers hungry.
One con about this is how the prices of pastries and even the food at the restaurant are triple the regular prices.
I love and enjoy how really cold the train is. The air conditioner works at a high rate and this makes the journey even more relaxing . I also noticed how each window seats have sockets to charge.
Contrary to what I’ve always believed, the speed is actually very reasonable. It’s not too fast and it’s not too slow.
One thing i didn’t enjoy during my trip was the many checkpoints we had to wait at. I understood later it was done for security reasons and to prevent collision.
I’ll rate my experience a 9.5 out of 10 and I’ll be doing it again.
The trip typically lasts for less than 3 hours.
Another con is how noisy it can be. The train accommodates a lot of passengers but to avoid a lot of noise, the business class section is the best.
I used the train for the second time on my way back home and it wasn’t so bad as the first. It was more comfortable and enjoyable. I’ll be going on more train trips with my partner, friends and family in the future.
