The Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, has announced that six additional train sets will be in Lagos very soon to strengthen the capacity of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT).

This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by LAMATA’s Head of Corporate Communication, Kolawole Ojelabi.

He said the trains will be plying Blue and Red Lines to deliver value to commuters and thereby increase the economic viability of the state.

Ojelabi stated that the six train sets, which have scaled the factory acceptance test hurdle, are scheduled for shipment to Lagos from China and will be deployed to both the LRMT Blue and Red Lines.

According to him, the addition of the train sets to the Blue Line rolling stock will increase the number of train trips along the corridor and will be deployed for passenger operation to Okokomaiko when the phase two of the Blue Line is completed.

He noted that the construction of the Blue Line Rail phase two from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, which is 14 kilometres in length, will be completed within the first quarter of 2027 and passenger operations will extend to Okokomaiko shortly after.

The completion of infrastructure for the first phase of the Blue Line, a 13-kilometre rail route from Marina to Mile 2, was launched by former President Muhammadu Buhari on 23 January 2023 and passenger operation opened on 4th September 2023 by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Meanwhile, the Blue Line currently runs 72 trips per day and with the procurement of three additional rolling stock, the trips are expected to increase.

The Red Line currently runs eight trips per day. And the addition of new rolling stock will ensure a daily increase in trips.