President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, February 29, 2024, inaugurated the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line delivered by the administration of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to give urban commuters a new transport option in the state.

The first phase of the 37-kilometre rail line, constructed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), was commissioned with seven stations built along its corridor, traversing Agbado – a boundary town in Ogun State – to Oyingbo in Lagos Central.

The Red Line was inaugurated a year after the state’s first light rail – Blue Line – was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The 13-kilometres project, started by former Governor Babatunde Fashola, traverses five stations between Mile 2 and Marina.

Tinubu, who commended Sanwo-Olu for the “giant stride”, said the Red Line inauguration marked another milestone in Lagos State’s infrastructural progress.

The president noted that the delivery of the project further validated his belief that democracy would work in a society where leaders showed dedication to governance vision.

He added that Lagos stood out as a shining example of working democracy because its leadership made people’s welfare the central priority of its vision and planning.

Tinubu said the history of the state would be kind to everyone involved in the infrastructural transformation witnessed in Lagos, noting that any deviation from the state’s development master plan could derail the progress.

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President Tinubu, therefore, urged the state’s leadership to persevere in the face of opposition to the ideas, while staying focused on the goals.

Speaking at the event, Sanwo-Olu described the inauguration as a “culmination of long, painstaking journey” of reforms in the transportation sector of LagosState, stressing that the commissioning of the rail system has again breathed life into Tinubu’s vision of integrated transport connectivity.

The governor said the Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) of Lagos outlined six integrated rail lines, one monorail, 14 BRT corridors, over 20 water routes, and a vast network of major and inner roads.

Two of the rail lines had been completed, he said, acknowledging the contributions of his predecessors – Fashola, and Akinwunmi Ambode – towards the accomplishment of the state’s rail projects.

Sanwo-Olu said: “The segment we are inaugurating today (Thursday) spans an impressive 27-km from Agbado to Oyingbo, featuring state-of-the-art stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.

“For the first time in the history of Lagos, we have a system comprising and integrating all three modes of transportation: road, rail and waterways. We started construction of the rail infrastructure mid-2021, and I am happy that our administration has been able to complete it for operations.

“At full capacity, this first phase of the Red Line will transport 250,000 passengers daily, which will grow to 750,000 passengers daily when we have the full complement of rolling stock on the line.”

The Star