A Nigerian metro rail line, based in the southern state of Lagos, began its commercial operation for the first time, the country's Federal Ministry of Transportation announced on Monday.
On Monday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu boarded one of the Blue Line carriages to commemorate the beginning of commercial operations on the Lagos intrastate train service.
The governor gave a brief talk before boarding the train, urging guests and other passengers to behave in an orderly manner.
“The train stations will also be inaugurated little by little and the rolling stock is already being modernized. We are putting the final touches on the project," he said.
The plan of operation for the new metro line has been intended to start with 12 trips for two weeks, which will be ramped up to 76 trips per day.
The metro line will operate starting from Tuesday, from 6:30 am to 10 am (Morning peak) and afternoon peak, from 4 pm to 9:30 pm local time.
According to the report, it is estimated that this update would help to reduce the duration of travel, due to the fact that the train will halt for 90 seconds at each station.
Speaking about the Red Line Rail, Sanwo-Olu stated that Nigeria President Bola Tinubu would commission the 96% finished project before the end of the year. He also stated that the various stations and bridges built for the Red Line Rail would begin to be commissioned at the end of the month.
"The Red Line currently is about 95-96 percent, and if it doesn’t get to 100 percent, we won’t commission it. But we are certain that before the end of the year, we will also commission the Red Line," he said.
He further noted that by the end of September, the government will begin commissioning the bridges – Ikeja Along Bridge, Yaba Bridge, Ebute-Metta Bridge, Mushin Bridge, Ayoola Coker and "all the other bridges."
"We will start opening the bridges for vehicular movements, then we will start the commissioning of the various stations; from Oyingbo Station to Yaba to Mushin, Ikeja to Agege and to Iju. We will commission all the stations, and then we will have a final movement, which I hope Mr. President will come to help us to do before the end of the year," he added.
The Lagos State Government together with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) were in charge of the blue line rail project, which is being constructed as part of the state’s development and improved intermodal transport system. The Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, has been the main contractor behind the transport project.
The blue line also is part one of six rail and monorail line, which is included in the Nigeria's national transport plan.
The Lagos blue rail line was started by the former administration of Lagos Governor Babatunde Fashola more than a decade years ago. The first phase – 13 km (Marina to Mile 2) on the Lagos-Badagry corridor has been completed by the Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
Nigeria's transport plan includes ferries, bus rapid transport and from now on, metro rail lines.