The first railway in Nigeria was opened in 1898 between Lagos and Abeokuta, a distance of 96km. In common with the railways of other British colonies in Africa, the chosen gauge was 3ft 6in (1067mm), and this gauge was used for subsequent expansion. The present day network extends to some 3500km of route and reaches many parts of the country, although given the huge land area coverage is sparse. In the early part of the 21st century lines were very run down and underutilized. Rehabilitation of existing lines and construction of new ones has since taken place, and is ongoing. In 1991 new 277km standard (1435mm) gauge line opened to connect iron ore workings in the Itakpe area with steel works at Ajaokuta. The line was extended a further 275km to the coastal port of Warri in 2013. Passenger traffic on the line commenced in 2019. In 2012, construction began on a new 181km standard gauge line from Lagos to Ibadan. Various delays to its completion have occurred and opening is not expecte...
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