Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday officially flagged off the full commercial operations of the Red Rail Line train service.
The Red Line infrastructure which was initially commissioned by President Bola Tinubu on February 29, 2024, with construction beginning in 2021, is expected to transport about 500,000 passengers daily.
The first phase of the Red Line covers 27 kilometers, with eight stations at Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin, Oshodi, Ikeja, Agege, Iju, and Agbado. The entire journey from Oyingbo to Agbado takes approximately one hour and seven minutes, with each train carrying up to 1,500 passengers. A trip from Iju to Agege costs N500.
Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, Permanent Secretary for Transportation, Wale Musa, and the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Abimbola Akinajo, joined the inaugural train ride to Agbado.
Sanwo-Olu, who boarded the train at 5:20 PM and stopped at Ikeja at 5:55 pm, emphasized that the Red Line, designed to carry 500,000 passengers daily at full capacity, will significantly improve commuting in the state. He also noted that the government will continue to increase the frequency of train services to meet demand.
He said “Today marks the launch of commercial operations of the LMRT Red Line, commencing passenger services from Agbado to Oyingbo,” the governor said. “We are on a mission to keep Lagos moving, and the Red Line is a key part of our vision to create a seamlessly connected city. This is also our second rail system to become operational in less than two years.”
The Red Line will operate daily passenger services, with the first train departing from Agbado at 6:00 am and the second leaving Iju Station at 7:30 am. The governor encouraged residents to have their Cowry Cards ready for boarding, adding, “Just as with the Blue Line and other public infrastructure, remember that this project belongs to all of us. Let’s treat it with the respect it deserves.”
