The much-awaited Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue line has come alive with the launching of the completion of infrastructure works and the eventual test run.
So, after the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his entourage launched the completion of infrastructure works on Wednesday, December 21, the Gibb and Nexant Consulting Limited teams hosted an event the next day and gave some Lagosians a first-hand train ride from National Theatre Station to Marina Station.
This train ride between National Theatre Station and Marina Station is known to be one of the most beautiful and scenic train trips in Nigeria as it overlooks Lagos harbour and parts of Lagos city.
The Marina Station has changed the skyline of Lagos forever.
Some of those who undertook the train ride told Transport Day they were excited because of its smoothness and comfort.
Lagos is the most populous city in Nigeria and the second-largest city in Africa. Lagos is also the financial and economic hub of Lagos State and greater Nigeria.
It is home to one of the busiest and largest seaports on the continent, with the fourth-highest GDP in Africa.
Lagos is by no means a city to be ignored, as it is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
With a growing population, the infrastructure often cannot keep up with the growing population and its demands.
Hence, one of the biggest challenges in Lagos is traffic congestion. Lagos traffic is known to be one of the worst in the world. It regularly happens that drivers and their passengers would be stuck in traffic for hours with no apparent reason other than that there are just too many cars on the road.
Many solutions, such as the BRT, have been implemented to help resolve this traffic problem. The most sustainable solution is to improve the railway system in Lagos — to move people from the road into trains. The Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) project would not only help with the traffic problem but also prepare Lagos for even more growth.
Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has managed to secure long-awaited sponsorship from the Lagos State Government (LSG) to complete a railway project and expand the existing railway system.
The first two lines of the urban light rail project are the Red Line and the Blue line.
The Red Line, consisting of four overpasses and eight stations, a maintenance depot, and new railway infrastructure, will be 30km long and will run between Marina and Agbado. Agbado to Oyingbo is nearing completion.
The 27km long Blue Line has a sea-crossing bridge, Il stations, and a maintenance depot connecting Okokomaiko to Marina. Mile 2 to Marina has been completed.
Two years ago, LAMATA appointed the GIBB-Nexant team as the Owners Engineer to oversee the implementation of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) system for the Red Line and Blue Line projects.
This includes undertaking multidisciplinary engineering design reviews and construction monitoring.
It is estimated that the Red and Blue Lines will carry more than one million passengers per day and boost the State’s economy by facilitating the movement of people.
For Lagosians, this will mean shorter travel time and employ thousands of people in the Rail Industry.
GIBB-Nexant says, “we are proud of our team who has worked tirelessly in assisting LAMATA to reach their goal. We are proud to have worked with some of the best contractors in the industry. And we are proud to be a part of making life easier for every Lagosian who work hard to provide for their family”.
About GIBB
GIBB, an ISO-certified, employee-owned company, has a large footprint, combined with the vast expertise of their people and more than 65 years of experience in the power, mining, water, transport, industrial, project finance and development, property, and petrochemicals & energy markets in Africa. This provides a unique understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented by complex projects on the African continent.
About Nexant Consulting Limited
Nexant is the first and currently the only Indigenous ISO-certified Railway Consultancy firm in Nigeria; also an indigenous ISO-certified consultancy firm in Engineering Designs and Construction Supervision, delivering world-class Infrastructure and Engineering Consultancy Services by reinforcing worldwide corporate alliances and upholding top-tier quality and ethical standards.
