President Tinubu inaugurates first phase of Lagos Red Line

President Tinubu inaugurates first phase of Lagos Red Line 

On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu commissioned the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line project at the Ikeja Train Station. 

The event was attended by by a distinguished assembly of guests, including but not limited to the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his Deputy, the Minister of Transportation Saidu Alkali, numerous state governors, officials from the project’s executing firm CCECC, and international diplomatic figures in attendance. 

This inaugurated segment of the 37-kilometer Red Line, running 27 kilometers from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo, integrates eight strategically located stations: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo. 

In his address, President Tinubu commended Governor Sanwo-Olu and highlighted the pivotal role of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). He established LAMATA twenty years ago during his governorship in Lagos to shape the state’s transportation landscape, acknowledging Sanwo-Olu’s key involvement in its creation. 

The inauguration also featured the formal agreement signing for the commencement of the Red Line’s second phase, a collaboration between LAMATA and CCECC, executed by LAMATA’s Managing Director, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, and the CCECC Chairman, in the presence of Governor Sanwo-Olu and the CCECC’s President. 

After his speech at the event, President Tinubu and some dignitaries took the presidential inaugural ride on the Red Line from the Ikeja Train Station. 

What you should know 

• The construction of the first phase of the Red Line commenced on April 15, 2021, and was successfully completed 30 months after. 

• The Red Line will utilize shared tracks with the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s (NRC) Lagos to Ibadan route, thanks to a track-sharing agreement signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan. 

• Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his speech at the inauguration event, revealed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) played a crucial role in mobilizing local funding for the project. This financial support was further bolstered by contributions from three major local banks: United Bank for Africa, First Bank, and Zenith Bank. 

• Governor Sanwo-Olu also announced the acquisition of trains for the Red Line from the United States, with additional rolling stock recently procured from the United Kingdom in 2023 and China a few weeks ago. 

• Designed to drastically cut down travel time, the Red Line will enable passengers to cover the distance from Agbado to Oyingbo in a mere 40 minutes - a significant improvement over the more than two-hour journey by road. Moreover, the train’s capacity is designed to accommodate over 1,000 people per trip, according to a recent post by LAMATA on its official X account. 

• Governor Sanwo-Olu highlighted that at full capacity, the Red Line is expected to transport 250,000 passengers daily. This figure is anticipated to surge to 750,000 daily passengers once it is fully operational and all additional rolling stock are integrated into the system. 

• Furthermore, Governor Sanwo-Olu highlighted the commencement of preliminary work on two additional lines within the LRMT system—the Green Line and the Purple Line. The Green Line will extend 71.4 kilometers from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, while the Purple Line will run 53.4 kilometers from Ojo to Mowe in Ogun State. 

• Looking ahead, Governor Sanwo-Olu has indicated plans for the future development of two more rail lines within the LRMT system: the Orange Line and the Yellow Line, signaling continued growth and expansion of Lagos’s rail infrastructure.