Sanwo-Olu slashes fare as Lagos Blue Line begins operation 

After several months’ delay, the Lagos Blue Line rail will begin commercial operations on Monday 4 September, Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. Abimbola Akinajo said.

She told newsmen that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would be the first passenger when operations commence.

Sanwo-Olu would board the train at 9 a.m along with other passengers, from Marina to Mile 2 train station.

Passengers will enjoy a 50 percent discount on the planned fares for the full and zonal journeys.

The train will run from 6.30am till 10am during morning peak hours and 4pm to 10pm during afternoon and evening hours.

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The Blue Line rail, which will move from Marina to Mile 2, is expected to move 250,000 passengers daily.

According to Akinajo, a full journey from Marina to Mile 2 will normally cost N750, while zonal fares will be between N400 and N500.

She said with the transportation palliative announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in July, passengers will pay 50 percent of the fares.

She explained that for the first four weeks the train will run only twelve trips with a locomotive system.

After one month LAMATA will commence electric powered train operation with 76 trips, with an estimated passengers between 150,000 or 175,000, from 5.30am to 11pm on a daily basis.

The train will only stop for 90 seconds at each station, Akinajo added.

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Former President Muhammadu Buhari, commissioned the first phase of the rail project in January

Buhari witnessed the signing of the contract for the second phase of the project between the Lagos State government and the Messrs China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor.

The first phase is 13-kilometer covering five stations, while the second phase is 14km, spanning from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko area of the state.

The project, which is being supervised by LAMATA, started in 2010 under the administration of Babatunde Fashola.

However, it was abandoned by the Ambode administration, before the current administration of Sanwo-Olu restarted it in 2019.

LAMATA had proposed seven lines in the network: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, Brown and Orange. The Red Line is also being constructed by the government.