…Marina to Mile 2 takes about 17 to 20 minutes
The inaugural commercial ride of the Blue Line Rail Mass Transit begins on Monday as Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu took the first ride from Marina to Mile 2.
The Governor boarded the train around 9:07 am. from the first coach and walked to the seventh coach.
The governor wore LAMATA uniform and blue tie. He also took it upon himself to be the ride manager, taking time to explain the requirements to board the train to the people.
He was accompanied by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Secretary to the State Government Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, former Deputy Governor Femi Pedro, former Speaker of the House of Assembly Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, wife of the governor Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, among other government officials.
The ride from the Marina station to Mile 2 takes about 17 to 20 minutes with 90secs at each station before the final destination.
The train, which conveyed other excited passengers, including journalists, on the maiden trip, passed through Marina to Iganmu, to Alaba, before arriving at Mile 2.
“The ride was smooth and convenient,” a passenger who rode on the train said.
Abimbola Akinajo, the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), for the first month, the train would run only 12 trips with the locomotive system.
She noted that the reason is that there are few finishings to be done but soon to go electric.
However, LAMATA will begin the electric-powered train operation with 76 trips. An estimated passenger capacity between 150,000 and 175,000 are expected to take rides from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
The train service will operate in the morning between 6:30, 7:36, and 8:42 a.m. and in the evening phases, with ongoing tests during the day to ensure the trains are in proper condition.
The time schedule of the train is available at each terminal and also at the official site of LAMATA.
Abimbola noted that each terminal’s train will have a maximum stop time of 90 seconds, maintaining a strict schedule.
The Blue Line project is a 27-kilometre rail route designed to run from Okokomaiko eastwards to Mile 2 and then proceed to Marina via Ijora.
The five stations have been completed, with 13km of the rail tracks laid in the first phase. Phase 1 of the Blue Line is 13 km long with five stations: Marina-National Theatre- Orile-Suru-Alaba-Mile 2, while Phase 2 will extend the line to 27km.
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