Lagos blue line goes electric, increases daily trips to 54

Beginning from Monday, October 16, Lagos State Government will increase train trips from 12 to 54, targeting 74 trips before the end of November on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2).

In a statement, yesterday, the Consultant, Corporate Communication, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Kolawole Ojelabi, said that it is expected that by next Monday, the tracks would have been energised, thus allowing for the deployment of additional train sets for daily passenger operations,

“Ahead of the increase in train trips, train services will run on Saturday October 14 (morning peak only), while there would be no service on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday, October 15, to allow for the complete change over to electricity.

The Managing Director of LAMATA, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, said: “We need to shut down train operations for passenger safety while the switch to electricity is on as well as ensure that the test is carried out in a safe manner.

“The practice worldwide is to suspend passenger operations whenever a huge change such as the one we want to carry out over the weekend is to take place. The switch will allow us to introduce more trips and carry more passengers,” she said.

Passenger operation of the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line was launched by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on September 4, 2023 and has to date moved over 80,000 passengers.

It is projected that passenger movement between Marina and Mile 2 in the coming months will surpass 150,000 passengers, daily.