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Lagos Blue Line Rail transport will commence full commercial operations from Monday September 4th, 2023.
It will move passengers on return journey from Mile 2 to Marina.
The lagos state government has announced that the first phase of the blue rail line will commence operation next week Monday 4th of September.
The managing director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo made this known at the marina train station.
LAMATA MD says the first train ride will kick off by 9.am with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on board, along other passengers, which is from Marina to mile2 train station.
Mrs Akinajo explains that for the first four weeks the rain will run only twelve trips with locomotive system. After one month LAMATA will commence electric powered train operation with 76 trips, also with an estimated passengers between 150,000 or 175,000, from 5.30am to 11pm on a daily basis.
And the train will only stop for 90 seconds at each station.
According to her, the transport palliative announced by Governor Sanwo-Olu will also reflect on train transportation.
LAMATA MD appeals to residents of lagos not to cross the rail tracks because it is energised. And anyone found carrying out illegal activities across the five train stations will be prosecuted.
Commenting on the development, a Lagosian said :
“Congratulations. This should go a long way in amielorating the suffering caused by high cost of transportation. I also hope that the trains will be run in an efficient and sustainable manner.
And this moment is also the right time for government to inform the public on status.
For instance is the service 100% completed. If not what remains to be done.
How much has it cost the people of Lagos to date? What is the cost differential between original cost and actual spent.
What parts of the plan remain to be completed, how much will that cost and when does government intend to complete those stages.
Government owes the people of the state a well informed and communicated status report.
Hailing the government, another said: This is good news. The state government should step it up by throwing the ticket open for the first week.
“Thereafter, they can start charging beginning with a relatively subsidized fare.
“It’s a mass transit and the best way the govt can touch the lives Lagoscians in a metropolitan mega city like Lagos is to technically subsidize the rail transport system and not by sharing food stuff in the form of palliatives like what some states are doing, that’s equally not bad if the beneficiaries are not limited to only faithfuls of a political party.
Lagos Rail Mass Transit is a rapid transit system in Lagos State. The rail system is managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
The railway equipment including electric power, signals, rolling stock, and fare collection equipment will be provided by the private sector under a concession contract. LAMATA is responsible for policy direction, regulation, and infrastructure for the network.
The first section of the network, Phase I of the Blue Line, was originally planned to be completed in 2011, though the construction has suffered many delays caused by shortage of funds and change of government.
In February 2021, the Lagos State Government announced that the Blue and Red Lines would be open by December 2022, but the target could not be met.
Blue Line is now planned to open in September, 2023.