.to transport 250,000 passengers daily
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
“I rarely go to the Mainland part of the Lagos State, apparently, due to chaotic traffic congestion on the road. Most times, if I have to go, I make it only on Sundays.
“Also, apart of Sundays, the only time I go to the Mainland is when am travelling to other states of the country or abroad. I really control my movements to the Mainland, my friends and relatives understand,” a Lagos resident, Mr. Olufemi Johnson, narrated to Vanguard while commenting on congestion in Lagos Mainland compared to the Island.
The first pillar of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S.+ governing agenda is Traffic Management and Transportation aimed to tackle the perennial traffic congestion in the state.
For the first time in the history of Lagos there is a system comprising of, and integrating, all three modes of transportation: road, through the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT system, rail, through the LRMT, and water, through the statewide Ferry System. Every day, the system serves millions of residents, across the three transport options.
The train is the first phase of the project, which will run from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in the heart of Lagos. The train, when fully operational, will run 37 trips and convey about 500,000 passengers daily.
To guarantee the safety of commuters and residents, the rail corridor has 10 vehicular overpasses and pedestrian bridges to separate the train from vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The commissioning signaled the take-off of another major game changer in the state’s transportation infrastructure. With the commissioning, it brings to two the rail lines owned and operated by the state government. The first, The Blue Line, runs from Marina to Mile 2, first phase.
Uniting the modes of transportation is the global digital payment platform, known as the Cowry Card. So far, the state government has issued 4.2 million of these cards. The integration the state government has achieved is that any one of those millions of cowry cardholders can choose to travel by bus, train or ferry, and transit effortlessly between all three, using the same payment platform.
Five BRT corridors are now in operation. The first phase of the LLRMT Blue Line from Marina to Mile 2, wholly powered by electricity, was commissioned last year by the then President Muhammadu Buhari, and it has since commenced passenger operations. So far, the system has moved close to one million passengers since inception.
In an epic occasion, on February 29, 2024, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday inaugurated the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, LRMT, Red Line project, a 37 kilometres project expected to reduce travel time and improve transportation and logistics in the state.
The President also witnessed the signing of the contract for Phase 2 of the LRMT Red Line project by the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, and the Chairman of contracting firm, CCECC Nigeria Limited, Jason Zhang.
Tinubu, also embarked on an inaugural train ride from the Ikeja Train Station to the Agege Station, accompanied by Sanwo-Olu, his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, among others.
Redline overview
The Red Line is a 37Km route from Agbado to Marina with stations at Agbado Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, Oyingbo, Iddo, Ebute- Ero and Marina. As agreed by the FG and Lagos state government, the Red Line projects is sharing the Nigeria Rail Corporation, NRC rail track from Agbado to EBJ and then carry-on across the Lagoon to Marina via Iddo, Ebute Ero and Marina.
As agreed by FG and Lagos, the Red Line project is sharing the hub with the Blue Line Station integrated with other transport modes. The Red Line is using the international Standard Guage [1435mm] and is expected to carry 750,000 passenger daily at inception and 1,100,000 when fully operational.
The Red Line project is entirely funded by Lagos State government through a development loan syndication from domestic commercial banks. The funds were domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Project design and plan.
After about a decade of stalled progress on the LMT Red Line development, Sanwo’Olu resuscitated the project in 2020 as one of the flagships of his administration’s ‘THEMES’ agenda during his first term in office, the Red line project is being implemented in the three phases.
The three phases are: Phase 1 Oyingbo Agbado: Construction and operation of railway systems from Oyingbo to Agbado sharing track of NRC standard Guage from Ebute Meta to Agbado (263km) stations include Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin, Oshodi, Ikeja, Agege, Iju and Agbado. In addition, construction of four overpasses and three(3) pedestrian bridges at Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin and Ikeja to address at-grade level crossing challenges.
Phase 2 (Oyingbo to Marina: Extension of Red Line rail systems and operation from Oyingbo to Marina through an elevated rail infrastructure across the Lagoon. The stations are Ido, Ebute Ero and Marina.
Phase 3 (Oyingbo to Agbado): Construction of independent rail systems from Oyingbo to Agabdo.
The Redline project alignment is located within the built-up areas from Oyingbo to Agbado, which requires proper stakeholders’ engagement at different locations. In order to establish the Right of Way, RoW for the redline, a civil works construction affected some households and businesses along the corridor.
Also, to minimize any adverse environmental and social impacts of the project intervention, LAMATA, prepared environmental and social Impact assessment ESIA, and resettlement Action Plan, RAP, studies for the redline. The Federal Ministry of the Environment certified studies, which were publicly disclosed by LAMATA. Subsequently, LAMATA implemented an Environment and Social Management Plan, ESMP for the civil works construction of tracks, stations, overpass, pedestrian bridges and implemented a RAP that adequately compensated over 5.000 Project Affected Parties, PAPs, including both property owners and tenants in line with valid enumeration.
Several properties were revoked under Lagos State Government Laws while compensation was adequately paid to all PAPs. The Land acquisition, process was implemented in conjunction with other Lagos state government institutions such as: Lands Bureau, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Ministry of Justice, Office of the Surveyor General, Lagos State House of Assembly and in Ogun State.
Project devt.
The Project First phase is 26.3kilometre from Oyingbo to Agbadao, which shares track with the Federal Government’s Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, Lagos-Ibadan Railway Modernization project.
The Federal Government, FG built two stations in Lagos at Alagomeji-Ebute Metta and Agege. Lagos State Government has completed the civil works construction of seven out of eight stations. Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba and Oyingbo stations. The 8th station is expected to be completed soon.
While seven of the eight stated above will have complete station infrastructure, Oshodi is grafted to Oshodi Transport Interchange. Two stabbing yards were proposed at Ebute Metta and Agbado.
With train operations along this corridor commencing soon, coupled with existing traffic gridlock in these areas, it will be unbearable to continue using the present manually operated vehicular and pedestrian crossings. To ensure safety for all and minimal disruption to services and vehicular traffic, grade-separated crossings for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the form of overpasses and pedestrian bridges are not just required but critically important.
Construction and ancillary works for seven stations Oyingbo,Yaba, Mushin, Ikeja, Agege, Iju and Ajangbadi commenced simultaneously in December 2000. Construction of the overpass also started simultaneously at the different locations. (Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin and Ikeja).
To show commitment, Lago State Government also purchased two sets of Talgo trains from Milwaukee, USA that will serve the Red Line operations from Oyingbo to Agbado which will be dispatched for passenger operations soon.
Recently, Sanwo-Olu, led a high powered delegation to China where Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, were signed with firms on Redline rail project.
Redline flag-off
Addressing a gathering of Nigerians at the train station in Ikeja, Tinubu directed the Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’idu Alkali, to ensure that the federal and subnational governments strengthen their collaboration to provide reliable, efficient, and affordable transportation systems for all Nigerians across the country.
Reflecting on his tenure as the former governor of Lagos State, when the vision of a modern and effective public transportation system in the state was conceived, Tinubu, described the project as a dream realized and a fulfillment of years of hard work and dedication by successive governments.
”I am very happy indeed that today is a day to remember in Nigeria’s infrastructural history, particularly Lagos, the center of excellence. Today is evidence that it is good to dream, and it is a serious validation of democracy as a form of government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
”25 years ago, I was elected to lead Nigeria’s most populous state. From the very beginning, my team and I toiled day and night with a very bare cupboard and amidst pervasive deficiency to implement a developmental vision that would transform Lagos into an economic powerhouse. Today, we are realizing that dream.
”The momentum of greatness we kick started a quarter of a century ago has become unstoppable progress. It is not a crime to dream and dream big. Just stay focused and make development a central focus,’’ he said.
He called on Nigerians to embrace change and work towards national progress.
Sanwo-Olu speaks
Just a few weeks ago, bolstered by the unwavering support of the Federal Government, Sanwo-Olu 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 which will boost the number of daily passenger trips.
According to Sanwo-Olu, the State has a Strategic Transport Master Plan, STMP, that outlines what that integrated rail system should look like: six rail lines, one monorail, 14 Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, corridors, over 20 water routes, and a vast network of major and inner roads.
“In the grand tapestry of our development agenda, we are advancing a series of visionary legacy initiatives.”
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 the full complement of rolling stock on the line is ready.
There will be a total of six Lines on the LRMTS when fully developed. 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 where also the new Lagos International Airport will be sited.
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.
With all these projects in sight the future of transportation is here in Lagos as boasted by Sanwo-Olu.
The governor however, warned traders and residents to stay off the track as continued enforcement would be carried out to ensure that the tracks are free “because we do not want to record any fatality.
“Because once the intra train starts, it is not every two hours or three hours, it’s going to be fairly regular, 10 minutes, 15 minutes and we don’t want them to be comfortable that they have to stay on the track. It’s not a place for people to stay.
“That is the major challenge, we have reduced it considerably in the last two months and we will not stop, “Sanwo-Olu stated.
To provide safety measures for passengers along the routes, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, had signed a MoU, with a private firm, First Metro Infrastructure Limited, FMIL.
The measure, aimed at combating any emergency case that may occur along the red line rail.
Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, who assured residents of adequate security of lives and property within and outside the corridor, also warned against flouting any laid down rules, regulations of the train engagement.
A joint committee was set up by LASEMA, drawn from the team of FMIL. The team had since swung into action and was able to conduct risk analysis from Agbado Station to Oyingbo Station.
At each of this station, GIS would be deployed to determine the distance between all the stations, routes to the emergency center like hospital, fire services, and LASEMA, which is the coordinating agency.
“And the good thing is, if para-adventure, we have any emergency in here, we can easily kick start our response. And the response will not only be effective, it will be efficient. Oke-Osanyintolu assured.
“We’ve done everything that is humanly possible to ensure their safety. We’ve done what we call risk analysis, resource mapping. When residents abide with the rules and regulation, we can assure them of their safety, and we can assure them of their clean business continuity.
“To ensure that the passengers on the red line rail, metro rail route are safe in terms of infrastructure, in terms of their safety on the trains, both on and off the train.” he urged.
Disclaimer
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.