By Yemi Olakitan
The Lagos Blue Line rail is an electric rapid transit line that runs in Lagos, Nigeria. It is part of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system run by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority. The first phase with five stations and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) of track opened on 4 September 2023.
The rail line switched from locomotive to electric power on 14 October 2023, to increase the number of train trips from 12 to 54, with plans to further boost this to 74 by the end of 2023.
The electric tracks are powered by an 18 megawatts independent power plant, which is expected to reduce the travel time and cost for commuters.
The Lagos Blue Line rail is a significant achievement in the state’s transport sector and a milestone for the development of Nigeria and it is one of the most important contributions of Lagos State to the environment.
Electric buses in Lagos State are a recent development that aims to reduce carbon emissions and improve public transportation in the city. According to reports, the Lagos State Government in partnership with Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL) has taken delivery of the first electric buses that will kick off the proof of concept phase of its sustainable transport initiative.
The electric buses are produced by Yutong Bus Co Limited, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, and are equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi.
The electric buses can travel for up to 280 kilometres before needing a charge.
The partnership between OCEL and Yutong also envisages the construction of a local assembly plant for electric buses and the development of the required charging infrastructure.
The agreement between the parties will see to the deployment of over 12,000 electric buses in Lagos State to generate about $2.6 billion as estimated economic cost savings and create 5,000 jobs for drivers and support staff. The project supports Nigeria’s goal of net zero by 2060 and is strategically aligned with the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan.
Recently, the Lagos State Government also said no fewer than 1,000 electric buses (EBs) would be deployed on the roads in the next 24 months.
Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA) said about one million passengers have boarded the Blue Line Rail, since it began commercial operation on September 4, 2023.
Disclosing this at a news conference marking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), the Managing Director, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, an engineer; said this is to further demonstrate the commitment of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to the Transportation and Traffic Management pillar of the THEMES+ agenda and to explore alternative fuel for urban mobility and improve air quality.
She said already, the government in collaboration with Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL), had already deployed two e-vehicles (EV) to test-proof the concept and there were plans to increase this to 50 buses during the pilot phase, adding that “the plan is to increase the fleet to over 1,000 buses in the next two years.”
She said the state was also piloting the use of Clean Natural Gas (CNG) as auto fuel for its vehicles, adding that already, 10 CNG buses were being used on selected BRT corridors to test their adaptability to public transport.
She said these fit perfectly into LAMATA’s Strategic Transportation Master Plan where emissions will be reduced and achieve the state’s vision to achieve net zero emission by 2050, through the deployment of eco-friendly rolling stock such as CNG, Biofuel and electric buses.
On the Lagos Urban Train Projects (LUTP), Mrs Akinajo said LAMATA had delivered on the Blue Line rail, a fully electric rail system, noting that work on civil works on the second rail project – the Red Line would be completed before the end of the year, with test running proposed to start by Quarter 1, 2024, while commercial services would begin by Quarter 2, 2024.
Mrs Akinajo, who was in company with other top management officials of the agency, among whom were the Director of Rail, Olasunkanmi Okusaga, Technical Director, Corporate Planning and Investments, Agbonsegbe Osa Konyeha and Mrs Abiola Ajayi, said the last 20 years had seen LAMATA recording several milestones, adding that its vision for the next 20 years was the delivery of a more robust public intermodal transport system.
“As we begin another 20 years, our vision is to see a Lagos where all transport modes are integrated, and people do not need to put their vehicles on the road to get to where they want to go, a Lagos where emission will be reduced, she said.”
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She said LAMATA had played pivotal roles in developing an integrated multimodal transport system for Lagos State, beginning with the implementation of the $200 million credit from the World Bank for the implementation of the Lagos Urban Transport Project known as the LUTP 1, a project which gave birth to the first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, described by the World Bank as the first successful BRT in sub-Saharan Africa.
“LAMATA has also implemented LUTP 2, jointly funded by the World Bank and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
She said LAMATA came up with the first Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP) in 2009 for the Lagos Metropolitan Area, with a more elaborate one developed in 2014 to cover the entire State and four neighbouring local government areas of Ogun State.
LAMATA also rehabilitated 630km of federal, state and local government roads considered germane to ease the daily commuting of Lagosians.
Some of these roads include Akin Adesola, Idejo, and others in Victoria Island, Oba Sekumade Road, Ikorodu, Ayo Alabi Road, which connects Ajayi Road to Ogba in the Ikeja Local Government area of the State, Alaba Road, Ojo, WEMPCO Road, Ikeja, Ijegun Road in Alimosho and many others.
LAMATA was also able to solve the flood problem on WEMPCO Road with an underground drainage outfall into Omole Gorge.
The LAMATA chief said in the last 20 years, the agency built and operationalized the 13kmOshodi-Abule-Egba and 34km Ikorodu-CMS BRT Corridor, and implemented two of the six rail lines -Blue and Red, and with the support of parent Ministry, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation facilitated the development of the Lagos Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) policy, which the government approved in 2019.
“Under the Bus Reform Initiative (BRI), the Lagos State Government procured 920 environmentally friendly buses which we manage on behalf of the Government. As part of the BRT, we have constructed Modern Bus Terminals at Ikeja, Ojota, Ifako-Ijaiye, Yaba, Oyingbo, MMIA/Ewu, Ajah, Abule Egba etc.)
“We have implemented an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and deployed an Automated Fare Collection System with the use of Cowry Card. There are over 4 million cards in use.”
The LAMATA Chief said the agency is currently implementing phase 1 of the AFD and IFC-funded Lagos State Strategic Transport Master Plan (LSTMPP1), which involves the construction of two Interchanges, eight Quality Bus Corridors, and the implementation of various studies on the LSTMP Projects.
Mrs Akinajo thanked all past governors in the state, beginning from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, (now Nigeria’s President), Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode and the current governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for thinking outside the box in giving to Lagosians an agency that is making transportation seamless in the state.
She equally acknowledged all her predecessors in office, from the pioneer Managing Director, Dr Dayo Mobereola and Engr Abiodun Dabiri, as well as all past and current workers and all other stakeholders for their roles in the growth of LAMATA.
The Lagos Blue Line rail system from Marina to Mile 2 now runs fully on electricity, Abimbola Akinajo, managing director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) said.
The final test run for full electric operations of the rail system was carried out on Saturday by the operators of the train services, consultants, and the rail infrastructure contractor, CCECC.
According to Akinajo, the successful completion of the test was a dream come true for Lagos, saying “Lagos has become an exemplar for other cities in Africa.”
On 16 October 2023, the train began to run 54 trips within 30 minutes, thus minimising the incidence of commuters rushing to enter the train.
She appealed to Lagosians using the corridor to avoid the temptation of walking on the tracks, warning that the tracks are electrified, and trespassers will be electrocuted.
Akinajo assured the safety and security of everyone using the system, informing that over 300 CCTV are along the corridor.
