LAMATA confirms mechanical fault on Red Line

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has confirmed that the Red Line rail is currently facing a mechanical fault, resulting in its suspension.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, LAMATA’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Kola Ojelabi, explained that the issue was the cause of the line’s halt. He stated that engineers are working to resolve the problem, and operations will resume once they confirm the issue has been fixed.

Meanwhile, our correspondent’s checks revealed that the train service encountered trouble last week. Several passengers noticed mechanical failure on the morning service last Monday. One anonymous passenger, who boarded the train from Iju, mentioned they were informed of the fault and, upon reaching Mushin, all passengers were instructed to disembark because the train could no longer proceed. Another passenger, Emmanuel Ajadi, said he was turned away at Agege Train Station on Tuesday, with workers citing that the train was not operational.

On the same day, Red Line operators announced on the LRMT WhatsApp channel that the morning service would be affected, but the afternoon service would run. However, both services scheduled for the evening did not operate. By 9:19pm, the operator posted another message apologizing for the cancellations and confirming that no trains would run the following day or until further notice due to the mechanical fault.

The Red Line began commercial operations on October 15, eight months after its inauguration by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 29. Initially, the service ran two trains during the morning and evening peak hours, with plans to expand as operations improved. The service aims to become a significant transport option, serving a large population of passengers commuting between Agbado and Oyingbo.

Before the suspension, the Red Line had been operating below its full capacity, with passengers complaining about the high cost of fares. A one-way trip from Oyingbo to Agbado or vice versa costs N1,500, while the same journey on the narrow gauge train operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation costs N750.

The Red Line, which covers a 27km first phase, is operated by First Metro under LAMATA’s guidance. The service is expected to carry around 500,000 passengers daily, with the second phase projected to increase capacity to 1.5 million passengers per day upon completion. The second phase will extend the line to Onikan, where it will connect to the Lagos Blue Line.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, when launching the Red Line, assured Lagosians of timely service, reducing travel time to 30 to 45 minutes end-to-end. He also confirmed that the 25% rebate on public transportation would apply to the Red Line service.