President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the first phase of the Lagos Blue rail on Monday, amid fanfare and a speech by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The first section of the 13-kilometer elevated train network connects Marina and Mile 2.
The governor signed a document at the event to begin the second phase of the Blue rail project, which will cover a 14-kilometer stretch from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko and is expected to be completed by May.
Aside from the governor’s speech, which provided some details about the train, LAMATA spokesperson Kolawole Ojelabi spoke about the fare, power supply, trial run, and when the train will be available to the average Lagosian.
Since the formal opening of the light rail, many Lagosians and other Nigerians have had many unanswered questions regarding the first light rail in the country.
Here’s what you need to know about Lagos’s most recent infrastructure upgrade:
1. The train network was proposed in 1983 during the Lateef Jakande administration and was flagged off in 2003 during the administration of an ex-governor of the state, Bola Tinubu, 20 years later.
2. LAMATA oversaw the construction, which was carried out by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation.
3. According to the state government, the first phase will transport 250,000 passengers per day, and when completed, the entire 27km will transport approximately 500,000 passengers per day.
4. The first phase (Marina -Mile 2) has five stations – Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba and Orile station.
5. Travel time: According to the state governor, it will take “just less than 15 minutes” from Marina to Mile 2, for a journey that usually takes an hour or more.
6. Fare: The pricing has yet to be decided upon. For the fare to be decided, certain things like the movement of passengers, the peak period times, the low period and other factors would have to be considered.
7. Danger: According to the Daily Trust newspaper, the Managing Director of LAMATA, Abimbola Akinajo, warned residents of the state not to trespass on the rail line because “it is electrified” and advised them to make use of pedestrian bridges to avoid being electrocuted.
Ms Akinajo urged the people to use the overhead bridges and other exits provided once the train becomes operational.
Mr Ojelabi stated that it will be operational in late March or the first week of April at the most. “Select members of the public” will be invited to “come and experience how to use it” before it becomes operational.
9. Access: Once operational, passengers will be able to use the cowry card to board the train.
10. Power: The train will be powered by an independent power source – an Electric Multiple Unit.
The Third Rail Electrification System will be used to power the train. It will be powered by a public power source, an Independent Power Plant (IPP), and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Mr. Ojelabi stated that the goal is for the train to “run unhindered.”
“If there is an outage, the UPS takes over until the IPP restarts; passengers will be unaware of this transition,” he explained.
“There is an engine that is pulling it – a wagon, so that wagon is being used to test it,” he said when asked what the train is currently running on.
When asked if the train is currently powered by diesel, he replied, “the train is currently powered by locomotive, but that does not mean that the train is powered by diesel.”
