Sanwo-Olu Kickstarts Lagos Red Rail, About 500,000 Commuters To Be Moved Daily

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday said Lagos Red Rail Line will redefine urban mobility.

The Governor stated this while announcing the launch of the first phase of the red rail line covering 27 kilometres with eight stations via his X page.

Seven months ago, the Lagos Mass Rail Transit (LMRT) Red Line train infrastructure was completed and commissioned by President Bola Tinubu.

But at exactly 5:20pm on Tuesday, the commercial operations kicked off with the inaugural ride on the Red Line rail departed at Platform 2 in Oyingbo Station for Agbado —a suburb at Lagos boundary line.

Governor Sanwo-Olu arrived at the Station at 5:00pm amid jubilation by members of the public, invited to take the ride.

Also joining the Governor in the ride were members of the State cabinet, lawmakers, corporate executives, journalists and the public.

The Governor personally made the boarding announcement, after which the train service commenced.

Four minutes later, the train arrived at Yaba Station, with some passengers disembarking to connect the Last Mile transport service to their destinations.

The train stopped at Mushin, before heading to Oshodi and Ikeja where Sanwo-Olu alongside his entourage disembarked. The journey took 34 minutes from Oyingbo to Ikeja.

Addressing reporters at the Ikeja Station, Sanwo-Olu described his experience as “smooth and outstanding”, noting that the service reduced the commuting time significantly.

He said: “This is an experience that we believe will not only help in solving issues around public transportation in Lagos, but will also improve connectivity and reduce the journey time for commuters in traversing the city. From here in Ikeja, the train proceeds to Agege before finally halting in Agbado.

“The general public can now feel what we have done in mass transportation. We have fulfilled our promises, especially on the Red Line, just as we did on the Blue Line. From this evening, there will be regular scheduled train services from Agbado to Oyingbo and back.”

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the State was expecting additional rolling stocks for the Red Line next year. This, he said, will enhance the rapidity of the train service.

He added that the train service is projected to move about 500,000 Lagosians daily as the government ramp up the schedule and provide a viable means of commuting.

He reiterated that his administration is transforming the state’s transportation landscape, marking “our second rail system to become operational in less than two years.”

The Red Line is a 37 kilometres North-South rail route to run from Agbado to Marina with 12 stations — Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Shogunle, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, Ebute Metta (EBJ), Iddo, Ebute Ero and Marina with connection to the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and the domestic wing.

The Lagos Rail Mass Transit network is a major component of the Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) which has been developed as a compass for the development of public transport infrastructure in the state.

The train rail lines are codenamed Blue (Okokomaiko to Marina); Orange (Redeem to Marina); Brown (Mile 12 to Marina); Purple (Redeem to Ojo); Green Line (Marina to Lekki); Yellow Line (Otta to Iddo) and Red Line (Agbado to Marina via Iddo and Muritala Mohammed International Airport).