All roads led to the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, on Wednesday as the long-awaited Lagos Metro Rail Line (The Blue Line) came on stream. From the Costain end of the National Theatre to the Iganmu-Apapa axis, Lagosians trooped into the theatre, not to see movies and watch stage performances, but to see the inauguration of an all-important transportation masterpiece – the first light rail in the state conceived 42 years ago.
After weeks and months of massive construction of beams, diversion and closure of roads around the Marina and Mile 2 axes, with the attendant gridlock, the state government completed the civil works on the First Phase of the 27-kilometre stretch of the rail which covers Mile 2 to Marina which is 13 kilometres.
And from the National Theatre station, one of the five stations for the project, the train was tested on Wednesday by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who declared that the completion of the civil works which paved the way for the test-run was in fulfilment of his promise to the people of Lagos that the project would be ready before the end of the year.
He had made the promise while inspecting the project early in 2022 and later in January visited the factory of Talgo Inc, a train manufacturer, in Milwaukee, United States of America, to attend a ceremony “marking the purchase of two Series 8 trains” for the project.
Memory lane
The delivery of the Lagos Light Rail came 42 years after the idea was conceived by the first civilian Governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, who died last year. Jakande initiated the project during his reign (1979-1983) but could not implement it as it was reportedly cancelled after the coup of 1983 when Maj Gen Muhammadu Buhari became military head of state.
When Jakande initiated the metro line in 1983, it was meant to be delivered in 1986 with all the paper works done and the contractor ready to be mobilised to site.
Since the dream of the metro line was truncated, successive governments tried albeit unsuccessfully to revive the dream.
A former Governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, included it in the state’s Strategic Transportation Master Plan during his reign from 1999 to 2007.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the metro line project has been colour-coded in different phases comprising Blue Line (Marina to Okoko Maiko); Red Line (Agbado-Marina); Purple Line (Redeem to Ojo); Yellow Line (Otta to Iddo/National Theatre); Orange Line (Ikeja to Agbowa) and Green Line (Marina to Lekki Free Trade Zone/Airport).
The construction of the Blue Line which covers 27 kilometres started during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola who was said to have taken the civil works up to 80 per cent before he left government.
It was learnt that the project suffered funding challenges under the government of Akinwunmi Ambode between 2015 and 2019.
However, Snawo-Olu promised to deliver the project when he was elected in 2019. To actualise this, he took a window of funding from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
With the dream of the light rail realised, the state has succeeded in implementing an intermodal transportation system where all modes of transportation, including road, water and rail, are integrated.
Our correspondent also reports that the Marina axis which hosts one of the major stations in the light rail project is a major water transportation hub where Lagosians on a daily basis board ferries to many parts of the state. In addition, it boasts of a major bus terminus.
Sanwo-Olu said, “As I noted earlier, our transportation strategy is a multimodal one, bringing together the various elements of road, rail and water and ensuring that they are seamlessly integrated.
“Coincidentally, this location, in the Marina, is central to our integrated multimodal transport system, being a melting pot for all the transportation modes. I am happy to announce that we will be developing Marina into an integrated transport interchange, with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD).
“Let me make it clear that today is not the commissioning of the inaugural phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit. What we are gathered for is to commemorate the completion of the project construction. Very soon, in the first quarter of 2023, will put together a fitting official commissioning. Until then, we have an important phase of test-running to carry out, to ensure that everything is in place and in order, for the kick-off of full commercial operations.”
The governor also used the opportunity to praise Tinubu, whom he noted developed Lagos State from various challenges.
He said, “This milestone in the development of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) is the culmination of several impactful reforms in the transport ecosystem of Lagos State, starting in 1999, the dawn of the fourth Republic, when our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, assumed office as the democratically elected Governor of Lagos State.
“The Lagos that Asiwaju inherited was very different from the Lagos we know today. It was a struggling metropolis burdened by many challenges, ranging from waste management to deficiencies in critical infrastructure to rampant insecurity and a demoralized public service.”
250,000 passengers daily
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (LAMATA) which supervises the project said the test-run would continue for the next three months while guided rides would be organised for different groups to sensitise the people about the system and processes in line with the approval of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). Managing Director of LAMATA, Engr (Mrs) Abimbola Akinajo, in a chat with Daily Trust on Sunday, said, “What we are going to start doing now like Mr Governor said in his speech, we are going to start testing all of our processes. We are going to work closely with the NRC who are the regulators of the railway system in Nigeria. So we will test out all our processes. This in itself is to ensure that the system that we have designed and implemented is safe for passenger operation.
“Before you begin to put passengers on any rail system, you must go through the processes. So what this means is that we are now ready to start testing. We will be doing that for the next three months, we will work closely with the NRC to ensure that they certify our system, our processes are safe and we are ready to carry passengers.
“As you saw when we were going into the station, some people didn’t know how to use the cards to open the gate, those are the things we would ensure that we educate the people. We will keep having different groups of people come and we will take them on train rides.”
She reiterated that the train was fully electrified and warned against crossing the tracks.
She said, “We must never cross the rail tracks. These tracks are electrified and anytime we want to cross, we should please use the overhead pedestrian bridges that have been built and provided for that. Nobody should try to cross the rail tracks because it is dangerous.”
She added that, “In our projection, we reckon that this phase of the rail project would move no less than 250,000 passengers daily, while the entire line when completed would move more than 500,000 passengers.
“This will translate to a huge reduction in greenhouse gas emission. Besides, this rail system is powered by electricity, which again shows our sensitivity to protecting our environment and the future of our state. The rail system would provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs for our teeming youths as well as training to equip them to work in the rail industry.”
The company handling the project, CCECC Nig Ltd, said the completion of the first phase was made possible through the continued support from the state government, the people and the efforts of stakeholders.
“My dear guests, 13 years have passed since the Blue Line project began. Over the past years, we overcame various challenges, such as funding shortages, hiking material prices, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“However, as a responsible and reputable international contractor which has been working diligently in Nigeria for 41 years, we firmly believe the incoming successful operation of the Blue Line project will definitely write a new chapter for the transportation of Lagos. And CCECC always stands ready to deliver the project with high standards and quality and is willing to participate in more public infrastructure construction in Lagos state,” noted Chairman of CCECC Nig Ltd, Mr Zhang Zhichen, at the inauguration.
Experts in the transportation sector have lauded the progress made in delivering the light rail after over four decades of aspiration.
With the surging population of the state, estimated at over 20 million, according to unofficial figures and the chaotic traffic gridlock, experts say the state cannot afford not to have an integrated transportation system with rail playing an important role.
Mr Ikechi Uko, a Lagos-based travel expert, in a chat with Daily Trust on Sunday said, “This is a milestone. The arrival of Lagos as a global Modern City. With the linkages to road and Water transportation Lagos can now position itself as one of Africa’s Leading Cities.”
A professor of transportation at the Lagos State University (LASU), Samuel Odewunmi, said while the inauguration of the first phase “is a big start and big progress”, government must fast-track the Okoko-Maiko axis, as well as the Red Line, to achieve optimal result in decongesting traffic.
He advised the government to provide enough parking space for people to easily park their cars while using the train.
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