After 15 minutes stop over to pick security and some staff of the corporation at Alagomeji rail station, the train, moving at a slow speed reached Mushin around 10am. Though many people trooped out to confirm the news of the service, tens of passengers and six journalists finally made the trip. The VIP section, where journalists are placed, is a 98-passenger fully air conditioned coach, with fans, television and other conveniences provided. Passengers however berate the change of direction from Ilorin to Ibadan and urge the railway corporation to work more on its timing.
Some more passengers joined at the Agbado station, and the train now has about 20 passengers on board. The track is noisy, and makes conversation hard.
11:00am: The train is now at the Opo Suru station in Ijoko. The tracks here are newly fixed and it has not been passed in years, except for construction purposes. About 50 passengers joined the service at Ijoko station.
12:00pm: Passengers expressed views that the speed of the train makes the journey better than road one. Farmers and villagers along the route come near the track to wave at passing train.
12.30pm: Spokesman of the Nigerian Railways Corporation, David Ndanusa said the last time a commercial train service ran on the track was years ago.
Train now at Abese station: Buildings at the station are all locked up and the place is desolate. Train has, for some minutes been passing through several kilometers-long sugar plantation.
Now passing by Ewekoro Cement factory. We sight several trailers packed within its premises to transport cement, something the train could now do more efficiently.
12:48pm: Three hours into the journey, train leaves Itori station for Abeokuta. There had been stops at every station along the way.
13:00pm: Train stops at the popular Wasinmi railway station. Excited townspeople trooped to the station to catch sight of the train
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