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Lagos governor Sanwo-Olu shuts down blue line rail operations for two days, gives reason

Published

1 year ago

October 11, 2023

The Lagos State Government under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line will be shut down from Saturday, October 14 to Sunday, October 15, 2023.

This is according to a statement by the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo on Wednesday.

According to Akinajo, this move is to allow the complete change over to electricity.

The statement also revealed that beginning from Monday, 16 October 2023, it will increase the train trips on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line from 12 to 54 and ultimately 74 trips.

The statement partly reads;

“We need to shut down train operations for passenger safety while the switch to electricity is on as well as ensure that the test is carried out in a safe manner.

“The practice worldwide is to suspend passenger operations whenever a huge change such as the one we want to carry out over the weekend is to take place. The switch will allow us to introduce more trips and carry more passengers.

“It is expected that by next Monday, the tracks would have been energized, thus allowing for the deployment of additional train sets for daily passenger operations.”

Passenger operation of the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line was launched by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on 4 September 2023 and has to date moved over 80,000 passengers.

It is projected that passenger movement between Marina and Mile 2 in the coming months will surpass 150,000 passengers daily.