The Blue Line Rail will begin conducting regular operations on Monday, September 4, 2023, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Lagos State Government.At a news conference held at the renowned Marina Station of the Blue Line Rail in Lagos, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), discussed the start date.Akinajo said Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu would take the inaugural ride on the train at 9 a.m. on Monday, September 4, before other passengers begin to ride. He also gave reporters a guided tour of the Blue Line Rail’s physical infrastructure from the Marina Station to the National Arts Theatre Station in Iganmu.
She stated that partial passenger operations would begin on Tuesday from 6:30 am to 10 am for the morning peak and from 4 pm to 9:30 pm for the afternoon peak. She also stated that the operations would initially begin with 12 trips for two weeks before increasing to 76 excursions per day.Although the train is electric, Akinajo revealed that it would run on a locomotive for the first four weeks of operation to allow the electric system to fully come up and sync correctly with the physical infrastructure. She also said that the aim is to let passengers become accustomed to the rail system.She claimed that even though the train would run on locomotive for the first four weeks, the rails would remain powered, prohibiting passengers from crossing them.About 150,000 passengers per day are anticipated to board the train, according to the LAMATA chairman. For the time being, the train will run 12 trips between the two peak hours of 6.30 am to 10 am and 4.30 pm to 9 pm. At each station, the train will halt for 90 seconds. When it is completely operational in four weeks, it will run 76 trips from 5.30 am to 11 pm, she said.Akinajo stated that the cost of the entire train journey from Marina to Mile 2 will be N750, but added that the train ride is also eligible for the 50% discount offered by Governor Sanwo-Olu on all trips on Lagos’s public transit.She stated that cash or paper tickets would not be accepted and added that customers could only access the service using their Cowry cards.
Akinajo, who forbade eating and drinking on trains, claimed that sufficient security had been put in place to protect people and property. He added that there are roughly 30 cameras along the lines, and that anyone with criminal intent would be apprehended and turned over to the police.She stated: “A full trip from Marina to Mile 2 would cost N750, while zonal tickets for persons who don’t make the full trip will be between N400 and N500.
The highest charge for a round-trip would be N375 under the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced transportation package, which also covers the Train system.”We’re going to implement safety precautions. The entire Blue Line Rail is covered in more than 300 CCTV cameras, and over 30 of those just watch the rails. Every station has access to command and control centers.
Passengers will always ride in the company of plainclothes security personnel and officers of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps. Any argument will not be tolerated on the train. Vandalism is also not acceptable.Speaking about the initial delay in the start of the Blue Line Rail, which was originally planned to begin operating in August, Akinajo claimed that the delay was brought on by current conditions relating to import and export.She did, however, add that LAMATA is dedicated to launching operations on September 4 without additional delay as all prerequisites have been met for the Blue Line rail’s operations.
Recall that on January 24, 2023, Governor Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, as well as President Muhammadu Buhari, officially opened the first phase of the Blue Rail Line, which connects Marina to Mile 2, and they also witnessed the start of Phase 2 of the project, which runs from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko.The Lagos Rail Mass Transit’s Blue rail line, which spans 27.5 km from Marina to Okokomaiko and has 13 stations, will take 35 minutes to complete from beginning to end.
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