Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State in Southwest Nigeria, has reassured the state’s residents that the Red Line Rail system will commence operations by the end of this year.
Governor Sanwo-Olu provided this assurance following an extensive inspection of the Red Line infrastructure, which covered rail stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Yaba, and Ebute Metta. The Red Line project originates in Agbado, Ogun State, and concludes at Oyingbo.
Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) is overseeing the construction of the Red Line project, which was initiated during Governor Sanwo-Olu’s first term in office. The purpose of this inspection was to assess the progress of the work and address any issues that could expedite the project’s completion.
“We kicked off the inspection tour with a visit to Agbado where we took stock of the development of the rail terminal being built hundreds of metres away from the Lateef Jakande Station owned by the Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC).
“In all the stops we made, we could see the state of the stations and their platforms. Though the red line infrastructure is at the finishing stage, we noticed that there is still some work that needs to be done, especially around cleaning up of all illegal activities that are being conducted on the rail corridor, which should not have happened. We are also taking a final approach around all pedestrian bridges to be completed along the route.
“I am indeed impressed with the level of work by all contractors working on the Red Line project. I believe we are on track to finish the project by the end of this year. We will push the contractors to work tirelessly to see that they finish on time. We will be strict on enforcement in taking out intruders from the rail corridor. We have given evacuation notices to all traders found on that axis. We will wall off the entire corridor to make it free for passengers’ movement when the operation starts.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the public’s eagerness to utilise the infrastructure but emphasised the importance of not compromising safety. He called on those engaged in illegal trading along the rail corridor to cease their activities, as the entire rail track would be fortified with concrete to prevent damage by unauthorised individuals.
The Blue Line rail, which runs from Marina to Mile-2, was inaugurated on September 4, 2023. The governor highlighted that the operational Red Line would significantly transform transportation in Lagos State.
