The ever-chaotic transportation system in Lagos will, next Monday, October 16, receive further boost as the state government will increase train trips on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) from 12 to 54, from that day.
A statement issued by the Consultant, Corporate Communication, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi, the authority aims to further increase the trips to 74 before the end of November.
Ojelabi enthused that by next Monday, the tracks would have been energized to pave way for the deployment of additional train sets for daily passenger operations.
“Ahead of the increase in train trips,” Ojelabi said, “train services will run on Saturday, October 14 (morning peak only), while there would be no service on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday, October 15, to allow for the complete change over to electricity.
Also speaking on the cheering development, the Managing Director of LAMATA, Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, said: “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,” she said.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on September 4, 2023, launched the passenger operations of the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line, and till date, the service has 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.
