By Uche Amunike
The Lagos State government Wednesday stated that its blue rail line will start commercial operations on Monday, September 4, 2023.
Speaking, during a press briefing at the Marina Terminal in Lagos, the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Abimbola Akinajo, said that the Blue rail line would move from Marina to Mile 2.
She also stated that the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is expected to take the inaugural ride at 9:00am from the Marina Station, while proper passenger operations will commence from 6:30am to 10:00am on Tuesday morning, from 4:00pm to 9:30pm in the evening.
According to her, the operations will begin with 12 trips in two weeks and gear up later to 76 trips daily. She stated that according to a feasibility study, the train system would move 175,000 passengers to their different destinations every day.
Hear her: ‘There will be 12 trips per day stopping at each station for 90 seconds. The timetable is available on LAMATA and at every station. Passengers will be using a cowrie card for the ride. The locomotive will be in operation for the next four weeks before the electric system is finally introduced and the tracks energised electrically. The kick-off operation will run from 6.30 am to 10 am, morning service, and 3 pm to 10 pm, while the service will run from 5.30 am to 10 pm, when fully in operation. The service is expected to carry 175, 000 passengers per day.’
She noted that if it wasn’t for the delay caused by prevailing circumstances around import and export, the commercial operations of the Lagos blue line would have begun in the first quarter of 2023. She made emphasis on the meticulous testing of all the interfaces to ensure safety of commuters and verify how reliable the power and intermodal systems were. She also stated that the blue rail line will operate both in the morning and evening phases and will continuously be assessed throughout the day to see that the trains maintain proper working conditions. She however, noted that after four weeks of commencing operations, the train trips would increase to 30. She also made a call to the passengers to avoid passing through the track for their safety because the truck was energized.
She further stated that Lagos State is targeting December for the red line track to ensure that all things are in place, while the culture of train service has been imbibed by negotiations. She, however, warned against eating and drinking on the train, adding that criminals will be arrested and handed over to the police, as there are about 30 cameras installed along the track.
The LAMATA boss confirmed that the cost per trip on the blue rail line will be N750. She noted that the government’s 50% reduction in fare, which is applicable to all government owned transportation agencies will also be extended to the blue rail line.
