At Mile 2, the rush-hour crowd moves with a familiar Lagos urgency. Some commuters head for buses, others weave through traffic, while passengers bound for Marina make their way towards the Blue Line station. Before September 2023, commuting by train from Mile 2 to connect Orile, National Theatre, and Lagos Island was a mirage. But in the last three years, moving on trains has become a common sight along the Mile 2-Marina corridor in Lagos, and for many commuters, it is a new way to navigate one of the world’s most congested urban environments.

When the Lagos Blue Line commenced commercial operations, it was seen as a major intervention to end the long commuting times, traffic congestion and unreliable public transport system.

Speaking, Seyi John, a resident of Lagos who has been using the train since the commencement of commercial operations on the Blue Rail, said that travel time has never been the same on the Mile 2-Marina corridor, which is why he has not been using buses to connect the Island in the last three years.

“Travel time is extremely reliable because you can calculate the time it will take you to get to the Island right from the comfort of your home; all you need is to get the manifest to pre-plan your movement on a daily basis. The Blue Line rail has been a game-changer on the Mile 2-Marina line since it commenced operations three years ago. Commuting from Mile 2 to Marina, and back, has not been the same for me because riding the Blue Line is precise. I can tell when I will get home without any traffic or other associated problems.”

Another resident, Ruth Benjamin, said that using the train makes her journey fast, as it has helped to reduce traffic and save time. She stated that the arrival of the rail service has been tremendously helpful in easing her commute to and from work. She added that commuting by train has also reduced the amount she spends on transport fare each day, as well as the time and stress she experiences. She observed that, because the train provides a fast connection time, many residents now see it as a better commuting option, which contributes to heavy passenger traffic during peak morning and evening periods.

Benjamin also stated that as a result of the train services, commercial bus operators, especially on the Mile 2-CMS corridor, now charge moderate fares. “Before the blue rail started commercial operation, commercial bus operators plying the Mile 2-CMS corridor were usually very arrogant in pushing up their fares, but that is no more,” she stated.

Similarly, Kemi Jesugo stated that the ambience of the blue rail is perfect and excellent. “As with the train, the journey is fast, stress-free, and at a fair price.” She added that the rail system has reduced the long travel times and traffic stress associated with commuting in Lagos, especially in the Mile 2-Marina area.

Commenting on the fare, Jesugo said it is affordable, although train and bus fares are almost the same. Also, speaking on the affordability of the fare, John said: “For someone like me that does not go out so early in the morning, the cost is fair based on the discount we currently enjoy. This is because there is a 15 per cent discount from 12 noon to 4 pm.

However, travelling from Marina to Mile 2 in the evening remains the best because of the traffic and stress of travelling along that corridor. This is because bus travel time is unpredictable compared to going home via the Blue Line.

“For instance, Marina to Orile in the evening, which is halfway through the journey, is usually between N600 and N700; while Marina to Mile 2 via train is N750. So, it is better to travel back by train because it is cheaper compared to riding buses, besides the stress of joining the yellow buses.”

Worth mentioning is that over the last three years, the number of daily trips on the blue rail line has increased from 12 to 94. Commercial operations started on September 4 with 12 trips, increased to 54 trips daily on October 16, and are now running at 94 trips daily. The first phase of the blue rail line, between Marina and Mile 2, is a 13-kilometre track with five stations: Marina, National Theatre, Orile, Alaba, and Mile 2. To board, you need a Cowry Card, a contactless smart card used for public transportation in the state.

Speaking at a press briefing a few days before the commencement of the commercial operations in September 2023, the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. Abimbola Akinajo disclosed that, “though the train is electric, it will run on a locomotive for the first four weeks of operation to allow the electric system to fully come online and sync properly with the physical infrastructure, which will also allow passengers to become familiar with the rail system.” She added that about 150,000 passengers were expected to board the train daily.

Meanwhile, a post published on July 16, 2026, by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria through one of its officials, John Zhao, on X, while providing an update on the ongoing construction of the second phase of the project, revealed that the Blue Rail Line has moved more than 8 million passengers in over 1,000 days of operation. CCECC is the technical partner responsible for constructing the Lagos Blue Line.

Similarly, in May 2026, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, speaking during the 2026 ministerial press briefing to mark the third year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the Blue Line transported about 3.5 million passengers in 2025, with daily ridership on the corridor rising to 15,000 commuters.

This data from CCECC and the commissioner implied that three years after the Blue Rail Line commenced commercial operation, it is still far from its target of moving 150,000 passengers daily.
T
he Blue Rail Line project was conceived as an alternative form of intra-city commuting and to move the state away from a single mode of transportation.

With a population of over 20 million residents, the state has become synonymous with chaotic traffic across the city’s corridors. In response, former governor and now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu conceived an intermodal transportation system that included a rail system in the early 2000s.

A formal announcement of the construction of the rail system, particularly the blue rail line, was made in December 2003. The initial $135m proposal for the project was part of the Greater Lagos Urban Transportation Project, which the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) was to implement.

In April 2008, the state government approved N70b for the construction of the Okokomaiko-Marina Line, with an estimated 2011 completion date for the first phase (from Mile 2 to Marina). However, the project suffered many delays. The initial 2011 completion date was moved to 2013. Despite the additional two years, the project was still not delivered until 2023.

The Phase II extension of the Blue rail line, which is from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, is ongoing. It is a 14-kilometre extension and is expected to expand the Blue Line’s coverage across the Lagos-Badagry corridor. It is expected to have six stations located at Festac, Alakija, Trade Fair, Volkswagen, LASU and Okokomaiko.

On whether the Blue Rail Line has lived up to its promise of improving transportation in Lagos, John stated that he would not agree that it has improved transportation in Lagos generally. “But along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, it is a big yes. The biggest improvements are the speed and predictability of travel time, as the Mile 2-Marina train journey is just 18 minutes. It can really happen on our roads.”

He said, however, that the operator needs to innovate its operations by increasing the number of coaches during peak periods to accommodate more passengers, and probably return to the usual four coaches during off-peak periods.

No doubt, for Lagos residents living or working along the Blue Rail Line, the train has changed the way they commute along that corridor. However, the experience is different for those outside the rail corridor: completing the last leg of the journey and connecting with buses and other forms of transport still present obstacles, especially at the Marina and National Theatre ends of the train stations.

John observed that overcrowding is something synonymous with the blue rail line on working days during peak periods. “So, overcrowding is part of the daily movement. On the safety part, I think the terminal design would have been better off if it was built with a ‘first come, first served’ in mind – that way the safety concern will be much minimal; even though there has not been any accident on the corridor in the last three years.”

On her part, Jesugo said that sometimes, when she is not in haste, she commutes by bus rather than by train because of the time spent waiting for the next train to arrive or climbing or descending the stairways. “You can be early to the station and still not get a space to sit when finally onboard.”

Jesugo observed that special services for pregnant women, old people, and physically challenged persons are not recognised, especially during peak periods, which is unacceptable. “And the system has also failed to ensure decorum among people while entering the coaches during peak periods, which is disheartening.

“At the Marina Terminal, there are fewer Lagos Ride vehicles. So, getting a vehicle to convey individuals to their various destinations is always difficult, simply because the terminal is on the outskirts of CMS Bus Stop, where commercial vehicles are easily available. This made me stop using the train at times. This is because after waiting, I often end up using a bike in order to meet up with my resumption time, as a last option to connect to my office in Ikoyi, which is risky and expensive,” Jesugo stated.

Benjamin, who noted that the train stations, Mile 2 and Marina, and the coaches are usually crowded during peak periods, complained about the long queue at the Marina Station while waiting for a bus to Falomo. “It is not a nice experience, because the queues are always long and most of the time, it is not easy getting a bus to Falomo,” she stated.

A resident, Segun Ogundele, said that many have not seen the blue rail system as an option because of the location of the Marina station.

“The Marina station is far from the CMS Bus Stop, the main commercial hub. To connect to the CMS area from the train station in the morning, you’ll need to take a bus, which means paying extra or walking a long way. Since the train service started, commercial buses, the popular yellow buses, have been charging rates in the region of the train fare. So, with that, the train is more expensive if you include the last-mile fare.

“This aside, it sometimes takes a struggle or waiting a little for the crowd to depart to take a bus. Also, aside from BRT buses heading to CMS and Eko Hotel, connecting other parts of the city from the Marina Station is not easy, and getting commercial buses means walking to the TBS bus stop, taking a bike, which is banned by the government, or going to the road in front of the terminal to take a commercial bus. That does not come easily sometimes, as many of the buses are filled by CMS. So, I feel those are the reasons that reduced the patronage and did not allow the state to meet the daily target of moving 150,000 passengers,” Ogundele said.

The Spokesperson of LAMATA, Kola Ojelabi, stated that as patronage grows, the major priorities are last-mile connectivity, capacity, maintenance, power supply and fare sustainability.

“LAMATA is strengthening connections between Blue Line stations and the bus network and other modes, ensuring that the passenger’s journey is treated as one complete trip. Capacity and frequency are being continuously assessed to respond to growing demand without compromising safety, comfort or reliability. This includes planning for adequate rolling stock and station capacity.

“Preventive maintenance and proactive asset management remain critical to keeping the infrastructure and rolling stock in optimal condition. As an electric railway, dependable power supply and appropriate contingency arrangements are also essential to service continuity.”

On fares, Ojelabi stated that the objective is to balance affordability with the cost of providing a safe and sustainable railway service, recognising public transportation as both an economic and social service.

On how LAMATA has measured the Blue Line’s wider impact on congestion, emissions and economic activity, Ojelabi stated that LAMATA assesses the Blue Line’s impact beyond ridership, using indicators such as modal shift, journey-time reliability, road traffic patterns, accessibility and economic activity around stations and transport corridors.

“By providing a high-capacity alternative to road transportation, the Blue Line helps reduce pressure on the road network. Its electric operation also offers environmental benefits by moving large numbers of passengers without relying exclusively on individual motor vehicles.

“However, LAMATA recognises that the full impact on congestion and emissions requires sustained measurement through traffic modelling, passenger surveys, environmental assessments and before-and-after data.

“The economic impact is also expected to become increasingly visible as commercial and other activities develop around stations and transport nodes, supporting the principles of transit-oriented development. The Blue Line should therefore be seen not as an isolated railway project, but as part of the broader transformation of Lagos’ transport and urban-development landscape.”

On changes or investments LAMATA believes are necessary for the Blue Line to serve significantly more passengers, Ojelabi stated that the next priority is to move from establishing the Blue Line as a viable railway to maximising its capacity and extending its reach, particularly through the completion of Phase Two from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko.

“Key priorities include increasing capacity and frequency, providing adequate rolling stock, strengthening last-mile connections, improving station facilities, and sustaining investment in maintenance, technology, safety and operational systems.

“The Blue Line must also be fully integrated with the Red Line, bus and ferry networks, and future rail corridors under Lagos’ integrated transport strategy. LAMATA will measure success through ridership growth, frequency, punctuality, system availability, waiting and journey times, customer satisfaction, safety, revenue performance and intermodal integration. Ultimately, success means enabling more Lagos residents to travel safely, affordably, reliably and comfortably, with less dependence on the road network.”