What you should know as Lagos Blue Line Rail begins operations
Posted by Nofisat Nojeem | one year ago | 841 times
On September 5, 2023, Governor Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, inaugurated the Blue Line Rail project at Marina, Lagos. This rail initiative is a vital component of the state's ongoing efforts to improve traffic management and transportation.
The rail service managed by the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2022.
However, commercial operation of the rail service could not commence at the first quarter of 2023 as scheduled because of the delay in the completion of the electricity infrastructure expected to power it.
Here are some fact to know about the train and how to use it.
According to Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority( LAMATA) feasibility study, about 175,000 passengers will use the blue line rail on a daily basis.
After it kicks off operation today, the rail operations will begin to run from 6.30 a.m till 10.00 p.m on a daily basis.
The train service will begin with 12 trips daily from Mile 2 to Marina for at least two weeks, and the service would gradually increase.After four weeks of commencement, the train trips would increase to 30 trips.
The train service will operate according to a timetable that will be available on LAMATA’s website and at every station.
The train is not expected to stop for no more than 90 seconds – it is a scheduled service.
The Blue Line Rail extends from Marina to Mile 2 with five stations located in Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba, and Orile
The train fare was initially fixed at N750 from Marina to Mile 2, N500 from Marina to National Theatre and N400 to Iganmu-Orile. But with the palliative of Governor Sanwo-Olu passengers would pay N375 from Mile 2 to Marina.
According to the governor, "The Blue Line Rail is one of the rail projects designed to make Lagos a fully interconnected city and it will transform our city's transport system."
The Blue Line Rail by Lagos State has five stations along the route, between Marina and Mile 2. To ensure a maximum working state, the rail line has an independent power plant for constant travel. The security of passengers has also been put in place as The Blue Line Rail has about 300 CCTVs stationed at specific places.
Like the Bus Rapid Transit and Ferry Services transportation which has been operating to commute citizens, the Blue Line Rail will also integrate Cowry as its payment system. Cowry is the state's electronic payment method which is seamless for the above transport methods and has been running on a 50% discount to ease the burden of fuel and transportation hikes. The discount is also enabled on the Blue Line Rail. Citizens in Lagos can travel far for less payment.
The Blue Line Rail is fully in operation with a proposed 12 trips for the first two weeks and upscale to 72 trips per day.
In the latter part of the year, the Red Line Rail which is the concluding part of the Rail Project in the state will be completed. Overall, the transport system in Lagos State is utilizing road, water, and more recently rail to ease traffic management and allow for effective transportation.
