Manny Ita –
The first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Red Line, a 27-kilometre corridor linking Oyingbo in Lagos to Agbado in Ogun State, commenced full commercial passenger operations on October 15, 2024, several months after its formal inauguration by Bola Tinubu on February 29, 2024.
The Red Line forms part of a broader urban rail programme designed to modernise transportation across Lagos, where six light-rail corridors are planned under the state’s long-term mass transit master plan. At present, only the initial segments of the Red Line and the Blue Line are operational, while construction continues on the remaining portions of both routes. Preparatory work is also underway for the Green Line, which represents the next phase of the state’s rail expansion.
State authorities indicated in January 2025 that six additional train sets procured from China would be deployed to strengthen capacity on the Red and Blue Lines, noting that the rolling stock had successfully completed factory acceptance tests ahead of delivery.
The entire Red Line project spans approximately 37 kilometres, with the operational first phase covering 27 kilometres between Agbado and Oyingbo. This segment includes eight stations located at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo, positioned to serve densely populated residential and commercial districts.
Construction began on April 15, 2021, and the line underwent a six-week trial period before limited invitational passenger services operated between August 28 and September 27, 2024, ahead of the transition to full fare-paying operations in October.
The rail service runs under a track-sharing arrangement with the Nigerian Railway Corporation, utilising the Lagos–Ibadan standard gauge corridor in a partnership framework established during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
Officials project that upon completion of the second phase, the Red Line will operate up to 20 trips daily and carry as many as 500,000 passengers each day, significantly easing traffic congestion and improving mobility within the Lagos metropolitan area and adjoining communities.
