NIGERIAN RAILWAY - signs of a decaying system

Nigerian Railway 

Part of my formative years was spent at the Railway Artisan Quarters Enugu, being the son of a railway man. My late father served the Nigerian Railway for 35 meritous years, on his discharge from the army after the second world war. 
Growing up in the railway quarters was great fun. The multi-ethnic environment it exuded became a multicultural atmosphere which we kids drank from.  My family moved from our humble home in the Uwani district of Enugu to the Railway Quarters inmid 60s. 
At first I felt devastated when my dad announced that he was offered an apartment by the Nigerian Railways. Not understanding the economic advantage it meant to my family at that time, I was more concerned about the inconvenience of losing my friends and leaving a comfortable home my dad built.

Years later I began to appreciate my new environment and the great adventures it offered.

Empty station platform

Abandoned yard

Artisan quarters was nicknamed ‘Chinatown’. To think of it, this is a place no single Chinese ever lived and I often wondered why such a nickname. It took me many years as I grew older to realize the reason behind the nickname. 
Railway Artisan Quarter Enugu was unique in its social communal setting. The houses were designed to harness this further.  For instance, if I came out of my homes bedroom back door that connects to our bathroom, I am at the same time stepping into our neighbor’s backyard and kitchen area. 
It is a common scenario to find one having his bath and chatting with the neighbor who is cooking in the kitchen. Ok, how about this one. We kids when we played hide and seek outside; there was no limit to our hiding places. You can run into any of the open doors within the limit of that street, and even ask the adults not to reveal your hiding places. It is not also uncommon for kids to run through your sitting room to the back, and out again. The communal lifestyle of Artisan Quarters is so unique and unequalled anywhere. We even developed our own Igbo dialect. No wonder then it was tagged Chintown.

                  The Rail Yard

Enugu,abandoned rail yard 

Abandoned coaches

The railway quarters complex is a large area comprising of Artisan quarters, Clarks quarters, Costain quarters, Relay quarters etc, housing different professionals who work for the then Nigerian Railway Corporation. Everything was connected to the rail services. 
The railway yard was a fascinating place for us kids. I often looked forward to visiting my father’s workshop at the locomotive work shed otherwise called Loco-workshop. The massive machineries, heating furnaces, and the smell of oil and grease, and the long sounding blare that announces time are all the trademark of the loco-workshop. It was also great fun to take lunch or dinner to my dad when he is working ‘Overtime’ especially on weekends. The Loco-Mess was the place, and one meets other kids, sometimes a friend or schoolmate whose father was working overtime too. While the dads eat we hang around playing some games, or just chatting about those kinds of things kids often chat about.

Many times we kids go on adventure within the rail yard. We knew every nook and Conner of the yard, and we walk all the way to the Enugu stadium, now Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium when there are important football matches, and attempt to get into the stadium by jumping through the rear walls.

                                                       Death of the Rail Yard

Empty tunnel

Enugu station southern approach

It is really sad to see things you cherished through your childhood decay and die due to neglect. 
It will be understandable if something outlives its use and was left to fizzle away. 
But neglecting a viable, functional, and all important means of transport such as a nation's  railway transport system to rot away, beats the imagination.
A cheap means of transportation that was surposed to alleviate the sufferings of the masses.

I was in Enugu recently and decided to do a tour of the railway yard of my childhood. What I saw was depressing. I was sad, so saddened that I was unconsciously cursing all the way.
The past Nigerian leaders are all beasts, and I cannot understand how such people can ever feel comfortable after all they have done.

These pictures tell it all.

Enjoy

Ticket stand

Tunnel