LAMATA: Why Lagos Red Rail Line Hasn’t Commenced Operations

Segun James

Following outcry over the none commencement of operation of the Lagos Mass Transit Rail, commissioned by President Bola Tinubu earlier this year, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA has given assurance that commercial operation will begin soon.

The Public Relations Officer, LAMATA, Mr. Kola Ojelabi, who stated this disclosed that it was infrastructures related to the operation of the rail system was commissioned by the president and not actual operation.

His statement comes following concerns raised by members of the public since the inauguration in late February by the president.

According to him, “We can only say it ought to have commenced commercial operation if we had announced a date but we have not done that.

“By the time it is ready to commence operation, we will definitely announce it and you will get the message.”

When asked what was responsible for the delay, Ojelabi said: “What we have done is to launch the infrastructure but infrastructure is different from operation.

“There are a lot of things to be put in place before operation starts and so we are putting those things in place. There are issues that we have to deal with and we are dealing with them.”

The project, an intra-state rail service which spans 37 kilometres is aimed at improving transportation within the city.

While inaugurating the project, the President reiterated his administration’s commitment in improving on the nation’s infrastructural development.

The Red Line will share the right-of-way with the Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railway. The route will run from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in Lagos, with notable stations including Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the commissioning of the Lagos Red Line project isn’t just about improving the city’s mobility, but about reshaping the urban landscape and setting a new pace for development.

In a brief statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Lagos State governor also noted that by connecting critical points across Lagos, “we’re opening doors to opportunities, growth, and a sustainable future.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had commissioned the Red Line Rail Project in Lagos on February 29, 2024.