Transport And Communications 2026, 14(1):43-50 | DOI: 10.26552/tac.C.2026.1.6

Beyond Infrastructure Rehabilitation: Socioeconomic Determinants of Intercity Passenger Choice on Nigeria’s Narrow-Gauge Railway Service

Adeolu Odutayo Dina1, Wahab Olamilekan Adelabu2
1 Department of Transport Management, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, 120107, Nigeria
2 Department of Geography, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, 120107, Nigeria

The success of transport infrastructure development now transcends the traditional metrics of project completion and passenger volume. Contemporary transport discourse now emphasises the extent of infrastructure systems promoting a socially inclusive, equitable mobility that provides a broad-based accessibility across socioeconomic groups. Consequently, the effectiveness of Nigeria’s rehabilitated narrow gauge railway infrastructure must look beyond operational performance and economic returns, but by the degree to which the service is responsive to the mobility needs of diverse social groups in the country. This study examines the socioeconomic determinants of intercity passenger choice on Nigeria’s rehabilitated narrow-gauge railway system. Data emanated from a survey of 1071 respondents travelling along the Western Line between Lagos and Kano. The study investigates using Binary Logistic Regression how gender, marital status, income, age, education, occupation, household size, and vehicle ownership influence the probability of passengers choosing travel by Nigeria’s narrow-gauge railway over road transport. Results show three socioeconomic variables emerged as statistically significant predictors: female passengers were approximately three times more likely than males to use rail; married respondents were substantially less likely than single respondents to choose rail; and higher income was associated with increased likelihood of rail use. Age, education, occupation, household size, and vehicle ownership were not significant predictors. The findings indicate that socioeconomic characteristics play a selective rather than universal role in shaping narrow-gauge rail demand. While the study notes the relative attraction of choice riders, the study recommends continuous improvement of fixed and rolling stock to full attraction of passengers across socioeconomic groups.

Keywords: Passenger Socioeconomic Influence, Modal Choice, Railway Travel, Narrow Gauge, Intercity Travel
JEL classification: L92

Received: May 31, 2026; Revised: May 31, 2026; Accepted: June 10, 2026; Prepublished online: June 30, 2026; Published: June 28, 2026  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Dina, A.O., & Olamilekan Adelabu, W. (2026). Beyond Infrastructure Rehabilitation: Socioeconomic Determinants of Intercity Passenger Choice on Nigeria’s Narrow-Gauge Railway Service. Transport And Communications, 14(1), 43-50. doi: 10.26552/tac.C.2026.1.6
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Adanikin, A., Adeoye, I., & Ajayi, J. (2022). Analysis of railway commuting factors and customers patronage in Lagos State, Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Development of Transport and Logistics, 7(1), 90-98. https://doi.org/10.14254/jsdtl.2022.7-1.8 Go to original source...
    2. Ali, N. M., & Eduardo, N. B. (2025). The role of individual socioeconomic factors in influencing public transport preference in Nigeria. Transportation Planning and Methods, 32(S9). https://tpmap.org/submission/index.php/tpm/article/view/3307/2469
    3. Banister, D. (2019). Transport for all. Transport Reviews, 39(3), 277-281. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2019.1582905 Go to original source...
    4. Beimborn, E. A., Greenwald, M. J., & Jin, X. (2003). Accessibility, connectivity, and captivity: Impacts on transit choice. Transportation Research Record, 1835(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3141/1835-01 Go to original source...
    5. Bringing the Nigerian Railways Back on Track: Challenges and Options. (2003). Federal Ministry of Transport, Nigeria. https://nairametrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/NigeriaRail1.pdf
    6. Bruno, M., Kouwenberg, M., & van Oort, N. (2024). Evaluating how transportation policy addresses transport-related social exclusion: A novel method applied to the Amsterdam Transport Region. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 26, 101177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2024.101177 Go to original source...
    7. Buehler, R., & Pucher, J. (2012). Demand for public transport in Germany and the USA: An analysis of rider characteristics. Transport Reviews, 32(5), 541-567. https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2012.707695 Go to original source...
    8. Carvalho, T., & El-Geneidy, A. (2024). Everything has changed: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transit market in Montréal, Canada. Transportation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-024-10497-2 Go to original source...
    9. Chaudhry, A-G., Masoumi, H., & Dienel, H-L. (2023). A systematic literature review of mobility attitudes and mode choices: MENA and South Asian cities. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 4, 1085784. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2022.1085784 Go to original source...
    10. Chukwurah, G. O., Nkwunonwo, U. C., & John-Nsa, C. A. (2023). Commuters' perception of railway transportation service performance and the effects in Nigeria. SN Social Sciences, 3, 49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00637-3 Go to original source...
    11. Daramola, A. (2022). A comparative analysis of road and rail performance in freight transport: an example from Nigeria. Urban, Planning and Transport Research, 10(1), 58-81. https://doi.org/10.1080/21650020.2022.2033134 Go to original source...
    12. Dina, A. O., Raji B. A. and Aroloye A. A. (2024). Passenger Trip Characteristics as Determinants of Intercity Train Patronage in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Logistics & Transport, (II): 191-203. Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. https://doi.org/10.61955/EIHGSS Go to original source...
    13. Dina, A. O., Raji B. A. and Solanke M. O. (2023). Exploring Nexus between Transportation System and Economic Development in Nigeria: A Case of Railway Passenger Travel. NIU Journal of Humanities, 8 (4) 57 - 68. Nexus International University, Kampala, Uganda. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58709/niujhu.v8i4.1731 Go to original source...
    14. Dobruszkes, F., Chen, C.-L., Moyano, A., Pagliara, F., & Endemann, P. (2022). Is high-speed rail socially exclusive? An evidence-based worldwide analysis. Travel Behaviour and Society, 26, 96-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2021.09.009 Go to original source...
    15. Gao, J., He, S. Y., Ettema, D., & Helbich, M. (2023). Travel behavior changes due to life events: Longitudinal evidence from Dutch couple households. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 175, 103765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2023.103765 Go to original source...
    16. Giwa O. M., Seyed M. G. and Olorunnimbe. R.O. (2022). Passenger Expectations about the Quality of Service on the Inter-City Rail System in South-West Nigeria. European Journal of Business and Management. https://doi.org/10.7176/ejbm/14-10-11 Go to original source...
    17. Guerra, E. (2022). What the heck is a choice rider? A theoretical framework and empirical model. Journal of Transport and Land Use, 15(1), 165-182. https://doi.org/10.5198/jtlu.2022.2096 Go to original source...
    18. Lekwa, I., Abubakar, I. R., & Adeleke, A. O. (2024). The role of individual socioeconomic factors in shaping travel behavior in Nigeria. Transportation Planning and Methods. https://tpmap.org/submission/index.php/tpm/article/download/3307/2469
    19. Loukaitou-Sideris, A. (2014). Fear and safety in transit environments from the women's perspective. Security Journal, 27(2), 242-256. https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2014.9 Go to original source...
    20. Lucas, K. (2012). Transport and social exclusion: Where are we now? Transport Policy, 20, 105-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2012.01.013 Go to original source...
    21. Martens, K. (2016). Transport justice: Designing fair transportation systems. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315746852 Go to original source...
    22. McFadden, D. (1974). Conditional logit analysis of qualitative choice behavior. In P. Zarembka (Ed.), Frontiers in econometrics (pp. 105-142). Academic Press.
    23. Monsuur, F., Enoch, M., Quddus, M., & Meek, S. (2023). Investigating the role of preference variation in the perceptions of railway passengers in Great Britain. Transportation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-023-10397-x Go to original source...
    24. Negm, H., De Vos, J., & El-Geneidy, A. (2024). Does it matter if you like it? Exploring the relationship between travel mode choice, preference, and satisfaction. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 127, 104053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2024.104053 Go to original source...
    25. Ogochukwu, C. G., Ogochukwu, O. F., Ogorchukwu, I. M., & Ebuka, I. A. (2022). Assessment of the performance of railway transportation in Nigeria from 1970 to 2010. Scientific African, 15, e01120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01120 Go to original source...
    26. Olojede, O., Folorunso, S., Popoola, A., Oladeji, P., Akintifonbo, O., & Odeyemi, D. (2023). Passengers' satisfaction with the lagos shuttle train services, lagos, nigeria. Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport. https://doi.org/10.20858/sjsutst.2023.120.14 Go to original source...
    27. Oluwakoya, A. O., & Ogundipe, S. D. (2021). An assessment of the geometric growth of railway transport in Nigeria: A literature-based study from 1970 and 2016. Prace Komisji Geografii Komunikacji PTG, 30, 31-40. DOI 10.4467/2543859XPKG.21.020.15736 Go to original source...
    28. Pereira, R. H. M., & Karner, A. (2021). Transportation equity. In International Encyclopedia of Transportation (pp. 271-277). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102671-7.10053-3 Go to original source...
    29. Raji, B. A., Dina, A., Solanke, M. O., & Alli, T. K. (2021). An appraisal of intercity commuting pattern using railway services in South-Western Nigeria. Transport and Communications: Scientific Journal of the University of ®ilina, 9(1), 11-20. https://tac.uniza.sk/pdfs/tac/2021/01/02.pdf Go to original source...
    30. Ren, X.; Chen, Z.; Wang, F.; Dan, T.; Wang, W.; Guo, X.; Liu, C. Impact of high-speed rail on social equity in China: Evidence from a mode choice survey. Transp. Res. Part A Policy Pract. 2020, 138, 422-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.05.018 Go to original source...
    31. Shen, Q., Chen, P., & Pan, H. (2016). Factors affecting car ownership and mode choice in rail transit-supported urban expansion. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 94, 31-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.09.001 Go to original source...
    32. Soretire, O., Osinubi, O., Ojo, A., Ajayi, A., & Oluwakoya, A. (2024). Sustainability of Nigeria's Rail Transport System: An Economic Perspective. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM). https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsrm/v12i04.em11 Go to original source...
    33. Van Lierop, D., & El-Geneidy, A. (2016). Enjoying loyalty: The relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in public transit. Research in Transportation Economics, 59, 50-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.retrec.2016.04.001 Go to original source...
    34. Yakasai, A., & Gwarzo, A. (2025). The Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction: Evidence from Nigerian Railway Station (Rigasa), Kaduna State. Journal of Institute of Africa Higher Education Research and Innovation (IAHERI). https://doi.org/10.59479/jiaheri.v1i1.65. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content