Lagos Governor pledges to complete blue, red line train projects by 2022

*The Lagos State Government says take-off of the Red Line project represents a major breakthrough for the current administration to deliver an integrated transportation model that promises to ease off road congestion in the cosmopolitan state

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

As a major breakthrough for his administration in its drive to deliver an integrated transportation model for Lagosians, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has promised the 2022 deadline set for the completion of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) projects being undertaken by the Lagos State Government (LASG) remains sacrosanct.

ConsumerConnect reports the Lagos Governor stated this Saturday, September 25, 2021, during a physical assessment of the progress made in the construction of both Blue and Red Lines, inspecting the rail corridors to evaluate the ongoing work in the state.

Lagos Blue Rail project

Governor Sanwo-Olu performed latest inspection after five months ago when he carried out the groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the construction of the 37-kilometre-long Red Line, which starts from Agbado and terminates at Oyingbo.

It was gathered that the Blue Line project, which started in 2010, is currently at over 80 percent completion.

The rail projects are being undertaken by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), an agency under the State Ministry of Transportation.

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor; Dr. Frederic Oladehinde, Commissioner for Transportation; and other members of the State Executive Council joined the Governor in the inspection that started at the Ikeja Terminal of the Red Line project last Saturday.

According to Sanwo-Olu, the take-off of the Red Line project represented a major breakthrough for his administration in its drive to deliver an integrated transportation model that would ease road congestion in the State.

He said: “We are excited about the ongoing rail projects being undertaken by the Lagos State Government and there is a huge number of jobs being provided to Nigerians engaged by the contractor at all stages of the construction work.

“There are over a thousand personnel working at the Marina Terminal alone.

“We are happy with the extent of work on both projects. What we have seen at the Ikeja Station, which is the second biggest station after the one being built at Marina, gives us so much hope that the projects are on course.”

The governor explained: “Based on the physical assessment, we are believing that the timelines set for the completion of major engineering work are on track.

“We are also believing that our contractor is working on schedule. Although there are few hiccups, we believe we will be able to address and surmount them.

“By the last quarter of 2022, we hope that trains would move on both corridors. And by 2023, we expect to see the full operation of both Blue and Red Lines.”

According to Sanwo-Olu, there would be quarterly assessment and monitoring of the two projects henceforth.

By this measure, the Lagos Governor disclosed that the government would avoid the pitfalls that stalled the progress of the Blue Line prior to his administration.

There are six overpasses being constructed at strategic level crossing points along the Red Line corridor to eliminate interactions between the rail tracks, vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

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