The Lagos Redline Rail System yesterday commenced commercial operation, with an elated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, promising greater infrastructural projects for the people of the state.
The Governor who led members of the State Executive Council and others on a ride in the maiden commercial trip of the rail line said, “you can all see, it is exciting and very smooth instead of spending long hours in traffic within short minutes you arrive at your destination.”
Accompanying the Governor was the Managing Director of LAMATA, Abimbola Akinajo, who was showered with praises for a job well done.
The train kicked off from Oyingbo station at exactly 5:20pm and arrived at Agbado station at 6:25pm.
While sharing his experience with passengers on board which included the media and other dignitaries, Sanwo-Olu expressed joy over the trip describing it as fascinating.
One of the passengers, Mrs. Chizoba expressed satisfaction with the trip, saying “I’m comfortable, it’s beautiful.”
Yesterday’s trip was the second time in less than two years that Sanwo-Olu would be performing the historic ride, having done the same on September 4 last year on the state’s first metro line, an electric train, from Marina to Mile 2.
The Red Line’s construction commenced in 2021 and was inaugurated on February 29 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
A trial run was conducted on the Red Line from September to October, in accordance with the requirement of the regulator.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had already presented the operator, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), with the requisite licences to operate the two metro lines.
The commercial operation is from Agbado, a densely populated border community in Ogun State, to Oyingbo on Lagos Mainland.
The 27km Oyingbo-Agbado line is the first phase of the 37km lane that is expected to terminate at Marina, going through Iddo, Otto and through the lagoon.
LAMATA said in a statement via its official X (formerly Twitter) account that the NRC granted a three-year operational licence to the Blue Line and a six-month temporary licence to the Red Line.
According to the schedule, the train runs twice at peak periods- morning and evening, leaving Agbado by 6am, getting to Iju by 6:07am, arriving Agege by 6:10am, Ikeja by 6:29am, Oshodi by 6:40am, Mushin by 6:49am, Yaba by 6:57 am and Oyingbo by 7:07am.
The second train is expected to leave Agbado by 7:10am and making the final destination at Oyingbo by 8:27am.
For the evening trip, the train would leave Oyingbo by 6:20pm and get to its final destination by 6:27 pm, while another one departs Oyingbo by 6:47pm and gets to Agbado by 7:47pm.
From the Agbado end, the evening shuttle, according to the schedule, also leaves Agbado by 6:50pm and gets to Oyingbo by 7:57pm, while the second train leaves Oyingbo by 8:10pm to get to Agbado by 9:17pm.
The train’s stabling yard, it was gathered, would in the meantime be at Oyingbo, while efforts were being made to complete the Agbado stabling yard soon.
