Lagos govt says blue rail line ’ll begin commercial operations September 4

• Warns against crossing rail tracks
• Targets December for Red line

Lagos State government, yesterday, said that its Blue rail line commercial operations would commence on Monday, September 4, 2023.

Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Abimbola Akinajo, who disclosed this during a press briefing at Marina Terminal, Lagos, said the blue line rail would move from Marina to Mile 2.

According to her, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is expected to take the inaugural ride at exactly 9:00 a.m. from the Marina Station, while proper passenger operations will start from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday (morning peak) and from 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (afternoon Peak).

She said the operations would start with 12 trips for two weeks and ramp up later to 76 trips per day.Akinajo said with a feasibility study, the train system would be conveying 175,000 passengers on a daily basis.

She said the commercial operations would have begun in the first quarter of 2023, but the delay was caused by prevailing circumstances around import and export.

Akinajo said after four weeks of commencement, the train trips would increase to 30.
The LAMATA boss also urged passengers not to pass through the track for their safety, as the track was energised.

She said that the train fare costs N750 from Marina to Mile 2, N500 from Marina to National Theatre and N400 to Iganmu-Orile.

On the Red Line track, Akinajo said the state is targeting December to ensure that all things are in place, while the culture of train service has been imbibed by Lagosians.
Akinajo, however, warned against eating and drinking on the train, adding that criminals would also be arrested and handed over to the police, as there are about 30 cameras along the tracks.