Lagos blue line service to commence passenger operations September 4

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) says the blue line rail system will commence passenger operations on September 4, 2023.

In June, LAMATA announced that the blue line would be open for passenger operations in August 2023.

Recently, the agency announced that passenger operations will commence on Wednesday.

Speaking on Wednesday, Abimbola Akinajo, the agency’s managing director, said LAMATA has decided that the passenger operations should start on September 4.

Akinajo said Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, will be on the train for the inaugural operation of the blue line rail system.

“The reason I’m talking to you today is that we said August (for the commencement of train service),” she said.

“We were supposed to be starting today. We decided that we will start on Monday.

“From LAMATA’s perspective, we will be starting commercial operations on September 4.

“For the inaugural ride, we will be hoping that the governor will come and ride with us.

“The first train ride will be at 9am. Mr governor will take the inaugural train ride with members of the public.”

The LAMATA MD said the train operations will start with 12 trips for two weeks, which will be increased to 76 trips per day.

Jubril Gawat, senior special assistant on new media to the governor, wrote on X: “A full journey from Marina to Mile 2 will cost N750. Zonal fares will be between N400 and N500 (for people not making the complete full trip)”.

“The transportation palliative announced by Governor Sanwo-Olu will also cover the train system, meaning that the highest fare for the full trip will be N375,” he said.

In January, former President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the first phase of the blue line rail project in Lagos.

Prior to the inauguration, Sanwo-Olu launched a test run of the project which is designed to run from Mile 2 (on the mainland) to Marina (on the island).