President Bola Tinubu on Thursday inaugurated the first phase of the iconic Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line project.
Speaking while unveiling the 27 km first phase of the rail project stretching from Agbado in Ogun State to the iconic National Theatre in Iganmu, in Ikeja, Tinubu commended the Lagos Area Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) and the Lagos State Government for such a massive project.
Tinubu said “We are gathered for the inauguration of the second of the 6th rail line projects and I thank our political leaders here for being believing in us and lifting our spirit, we said we can do it and you believed in us, we said the people’s life will end up being better, you believed in us.
“We hear lots of noise right now, I asked for this job, I cannot complain. For this revolution that is starting, this reform that is ongoing, we are not looking back. It is the affirmation of our pledge to be loyal to our country, there is a bright light under the tunnel,” he said.
The president said he agreed that corruption and smugglers are fighting back, saying “we will fight them, corruption will go away and we will save the money for you, for your children. The fight is on, we will be on it and we are not looking back.”
He said what LAMATA and the Lagos State Government had done is a strong reminder that that true change is possible and “change we must achieve, progress we must achieve, it is not about single individual, we have huge population in the world, we cannot afford to relax, the burgeoning population, we must plan and prepare for it and this economy, we will grow it and we will feed ourselves out of the penury and we will be happy we did it.
“We must exterminate corruption, no matter how hard it is fighting back, we must adhere to our pledge, perseverance, consistency and staying focus.”
Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the LRMT Red Line- a 37-kilometre marvel of modern engineering, stretched from Agbado in Ogun State to the iconic National Theatre in Iganmu.
He said the segment being inaugurate today spanned an impressive 27 kilometres from Agbado to Oyingbo, featuring state-of-the-art stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.
“We started construction mid-2020, and I am happy that our administration has been able to complete it. As part of the project, we have also completed the construction of five over-passes strategically located at Pen Cinema (Agege), Mushin, Ikeja, Oyingbo, and Yaba, and ingeniously designed to ensure the seamless flow of vehicular traffic, undisturbed by the rail infrastructure.
“Mr. President, in the pursuit of operational excellence and in our steadfast commitment to enhancing the lives of our citizens, the launch of the red line commenced with the introduction of two state of the art Spanish manufactured Talgo train sets procured in 2022. We subsequently procured an additional two sets of GWR rolling stock from the United Kingdom in 2023.
“And just a few weeks ago, bolstered by the unwavering support of the Federal Government, I was in China to finalize the purchase of six additional sets of rolling stock for both the Blue and Red Lines. These are currently being retrofitted for intra-state travel; and when they arrive, we will be able to increase the number of daily passenger trips,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
The governor said at full capacity this first phase of the Red Line would transport 250,000 passengers daily, which would grow to 750,000 passengers daily when “we have the full complement of rolling stock on the line.”
Sanwo-Olu said the Red Line would share tracks with the Nigeria Railway Corporation’s (NRC’s) service from Lagos to Ibadan, while thanking former President Goodluck Jonathan for signing-off on the track-sharing agreement, and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for providing the state with the necessary cooperation and support.
He added that much had been accomplished, and that there is still much ahead to be done, saying there would be a total of six lines on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit System, when fully developed.
“We have already started preliminary work on the next two: the Green and Purple Lines. The Green line is a 71.49-kilometre route from Marina to the Lekki Free Zone, one of the fastest-growing industrial areas on the continent today, and also where we will be siting the new Lagos International Airport.
“The Purple Line is a 54.35-kilometre line from the Redemption Camp to Ojo, near the Lagos State University. The final two lines will be the Orange and the Yellow Lines,” he added.
