Lagos Rail Mass Transit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | Lagos State (Managed by Eko Rail under Concession Agreement) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Lagos State | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transit type | Rapid transit (Blue Line) Commuter rail (Red Line) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of lines | 2 5 (proposed) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of stations | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Began operation | September 4, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of vehicles | 15 four-car BMU CNR Dalian for Blue Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System length | 35 km (22 mi) (planned) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) Standard Gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | Blue Line: 750 V DC third rail Red Line: 1500 V DC overhead catenary (planned) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lagos Rail Mass Transit is a rapid transit system in Lagos State. The rail system is managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). [1] The railway equipment including electric power, signals, rolling stock, and fare collection equipment will be provided by the private sector under a concession contract. LAMATA is responsible for policy direction, regulation, and infrastructure for the network. The first section of the network, Phase I of the Blue Line, was originally planned to be completed in 2011, though the construction has suffered many delays caused by shortage of funds and change of government. The Blue Line opened on September 4, 2023 and the Red Line opened on February 29, 2024. [2] [3] [4]
The idea of developing a rapid transit in Lagos state dates back to 1983 with the Lagos Metroline network conceived by Alhaji Lateef Jakande during the Second Nigerian Republic. [12] [13] [14] [15] The initial Metroline project was scrapped in 1985 by Muhammadu Buhari at a loss of over $78 million to the state tax payers. [16] In 2003, the then-governor Bola Tinubu revived the rail network for Lagos State with a formal announcement of its construction. [17] The initial cost $135 million was proposed for the greater Lagos Urban Transportation Project to be implemented by the newly formed LAMATA. [17] LAMATA initially concentrated on developing a Bus Rapid Transit system, running from Mile 2 to Lagos Island. In 2008, LAMATA began focusing on the Blue Line and the Red Line.
In September 2011, LAMATA announced that it would acquire some H5-series subway trains formerly used by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The cars were to be refurbished in the United States and converted to standard gauge before being imported and put into service on the Blue and Red lines. The same contract also included an option for some H6-series subway cars from the TTC, however this has since been cancelled. [18] [19] [20] [21]
In January 2015, LAMATA opted for Chinese-built trains instead, ordering 15 electro-diesel multiple units from CRRC Dalian with an option for 14 more. [22] About 76 H5 cars that had been taken for refurbishment to Buffalo, New York, have been scrapped by August 2015. [23]
In August 2018, LAMATA signed an agreement with Alstom. As a part of the agreement, Alstom conducted a review of the rail lines, and electrification of a portion of the track was planned. [24]
In January 2022, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited the US state of Wisconsin, to purchase two Talgo VIII trainsets for service on the Red Line. [25] [26] They had been ordered by Wisconsin for use on the Amtrak Hiawatha in 2009, but they were never placed in service, and were instead stored. [27] Talgo VIII cars are based on the unique technology of the Talgo Pendular model, which (similar to a bicycle rider) leans into a curve resulting in less sideways force and a higher comfort for passengers when driving over a curvy track. [28] [29] The "leaning" of the car is passive i.e. it happens purely by the resulting force, without electronics, sensors or engines.
The Blue Line is the first line in the system and opened its first five stations on 4 September 2023. [30] The entire planned route is 27 kilometres (17 mi) from Okokomaiko to Lagos Marina. [31] [32] Construction had been delayed due to lack of funds and was split into multiple phases. [31]
The second line, the Red Line, will run from Marina to Agbado. The line shares the right-of-way with the Lagos–Kano Standard Gauge Railway. [33] Like the Blue Line, construction of the Red Line has been split into multiple phases. Once all sections are completed, the line will reach a length of 37 km. [11] Like the Blue Line, this line is being constructed by CCECC. [5]
In September 2023, Governor Sanwo-Olu assured residents that the first phase of the line was 95% complete and would be finished by the end of the year. [34] A ceremonial inauguration was held in February 2024 [3] , but regular passenger service from Agbado to Oyingbo started only on October 15, 2024. [35] This first phase is 27 km in length and has 8 stations. Construction of the second phase, which will extend the line to Marina Station and connected it to the Blue Line, is currently ongoing. [11]
The Airport Branch of the Red Line is intended to run from Ikeja to MMIA International Terminal. [36]
The planned third line, the Green Line, will run 68 km from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, with a connection to the Blue Line at Marina. It will serve key areas, including Victoria Island, Lekki and Ajah. On 6 September, 2024, the Lagos state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to initiate construction, with the two companies leading on design, financing, and operation of the Green Line. [37]
Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimate of 21 million, it is the largest city in Nigeria, and the most populous urban area on the African continent. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until the government's December 1991 decision to move their capital to Abuja in the centre of the country. Lagos is a major African financial centre and is the economic hub of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The city has a significant influence on commerce, entertainment, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, and fashion in Africa. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world's fastest-growing cities and urban areas. In 2024, Time Out (magazine) ranked Lagos as the 19th Best City to visit in the World. A megacity, it has the fourth-highest GDP in Africa, and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent. Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.
The Chicago "L" is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the fourth-largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of total route length, at 102.8 miles (165.4 km) long as of 2014, and the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States after the New York City Subway and the Washington Metro. As of January 2024, the "L" had 1,480 rail cars operating across eight different routes on 224.1 miles of track. CTA trains make about 1,888 trips each day servicing 146 train stations. In 2023, the system had 117,447,000 rides, or about 400,000 per weekday in the second quarter of 2024.
Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 Nigerian states, it is the second most populous state but the smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin for 10 km, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the north for about 283 km, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.
Nigerian Railway Corporation is the state-owned enterprise with exclusive rights to operate railways in Nigeria.
The Lagos Bus Rapid Transit System, also known as Lagos BRT, is a bus rapid transit system in Lagos State. It is regulated by LAMATA and currently operated by Primero Transport Services Limited.
The A650 is an electric multiple unit rapid transit car built for use on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. The cars were manufactured by the Italian company Breda at its Pistoia plant in Italy between 1988 and 1997 and are used on the Metro B and D Lines.
The DART light rail system serves the metropolitan area of Dallas, Texas. It is owned and operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). The system opened June 14, 1996 and serves 65 stations and four lines, covering 93 miles (149.7 km): the Blue Line, the Red Line, the Green Line, and the Orange Line.
Abuja Rail Mass Transit is a regional rail transport system in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It was the first rapid transit system in the country, West Africa, and the second such system in sub-saharan Africa. The first phase of the project connects the city center to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, stopping at the Abuja-Kaduna Railway station in Idu. The Abuja Metro Line was launched on 12 July 2018 and a three-trains-per-day service opened for passengers the following week. Passenger services on the line were suspended in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was reopened May 29, 2024.
Transport in Lagos currently consists of four modes: road, water, rail and air.
Lagos Terminus, also known as Lagos Iddo, has been the main railway station of the city of Lagos until 2021. The rail terminus is located on Iddo Island, nearby Lagos Island and in the middle of the city.
The Lagos–Kano Standard Gauge Railway is a 1,343 kilometres -long standard gauge railway under construction in Nigeria. Once complete, the railway will connect the Atlantic Ocean port city of Lagos to Kano, near the border with Niger, passing through the national capital of Abuja. The railway replaces the Cape gauge Western Line built by the British in 1896–1927, which has a lower design capacity and is in a deteriorated condition.
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) is the Lagos State Government agency created to coordinate transport planning, policies, and public transport infrastructure implementation in the Lagos Metropolitan Area, Nigeria. The organisation oversees wide range of transport planning and implementation of transport strategies and plans in Lagos, as well as the Lagos Rail Mass Transit and the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit System. It is based in Ikeja.
The Lagos State Executive Council is the highest formal governmental body that plays important roles in the Government of Lagos State headed by the Governor of Lagos State. It consists of the Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, Commissioners who preside over ministerial departments, and the Governor's special aides.
The Fourth Mainland Bridge is a 38 km long bridge project by the Lagos State Government, Nigeria, connecting Lagos Island by way of Langbasa(Lekki) and Baiyeku(Ikorodu) across the Lagos Lagoon to Itamaga, in Ikorodu. The bridge is a 2 × 4 lane carriageway cross-sectional road with permission for BRT Lane and future road contraction. It is expected to become the second longest Bridge in Africa, featuring 3 toll plazas, 9 interchanges, 4.5 km Lagoon Bridge and an eco-friendly environment amongst other added features. The idea was conceptualized by the government of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State. Construction was planned to commence in 2017, 50 years after the state's establishment and 26 years after the completion of the Third Mainland Bridge by the ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida and was expected to be completed by 2019, but construction has not been started as of November 2023. The project was to cost the state an estimated sum of ₦844 billion in the 2017 budget. In September 2020, the Lagos State Government proposed another sum of $2.2 billion for the construction. 800 houses are expected to be demolished as against the 4,000 earlier marked for demolition in the previous design that was realigned. In April 2021 there were 6 bidders for the US$2.5 billion project. By December the preferred bidder would be known.
Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu is a Nigerian politician who has served as the governor of Lagos State since 2019.
Oyingbo Bus Terminal is located in Oyingbo Rd, Lagos Mainland, Lagos State, Nigeria. The Terminus is built at the centre of Oyingbo area and it shares boundaries with Yaba, Iddo and Ijora/Costain axis. Oyingbo Bus Terminal is the sister terminal to both the Oshodi and Ikeja Bus Terminals. The buses are fully air-conditioned and very convenient. The bus terminal is located at the heart of the busy Oyingbo market. Ease of accessing the island and other Mainland areas of Lagos by Bus is an advantage of the location of this bus terminal.
Mafoluku Bus Terminal is located in the vicinity of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. The Mafoluku Terminal provides a means of connection to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and the domestic wing of the airport, the terminal is also a gateway station that would serve Mafoluku, Oshodi, and Ajao Estate environs, providing bus connections primarily to Oshodi Transport Interchange, Ikeja Bus Terminal, Mile 2 and other parts of Lagos.
The 2023 Lagos State gubernatorial election took place on 18 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Lagos State, concurrent with elections to the Lagos State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election—which was postponed from its original 11 March date—was held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent APC Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was eligible to run for re-election and was renominated by his party.
Yaba Bus Terminal is located along the Murtala Mohammed Way, Yaba Local Council Development Area in Lagos Mainland, an area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Yaba is a suburb which is located on the mainland in Lagos state. It has become a commercial, transportation, educational and entertainment hub. Yaba became a hub for various commercial activities, which has made it become a part of Lagos State Transportation Master Plan.
The Blue Line is an electric rapid transit line that runs in Lagos, Nigeria. It is part of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system run by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority.
The Blue Line is expected to carry 300,000 passengers a day with trains running at 5-minute headways.