Blue Line (Lagos Transit)
| Blue Line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Termini |
|
| Stations | 13 (5 operational, 8 under construction) |
| Service | |
| Type | Rapid transit |
| System | Lagos Metro |
| History | |
| Commenced | 2009 |
| Opened | September 4, 2023 |
| Last extension | September 4, 2023 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 27 km (17 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 2 |
| Character | Fully Elevated and At-Grade |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
The Blue Line is an electric rapid transit line that runs in Lagos, Nigeria.[1] 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.[2] The full line is set to be 27 kilometres (17 mi) and is expected to carry 500,000 passengers a day.[3]
The line's trains are made by CRRC Dalian and based on Chinese Type B trains from Tianjin Metro Line 2. They have a maximum speed of 100 km/h, although they will only operate at 80 km/h.[4]
History
[edit]
In April 2008, the Lagos State Government approved ₦ 70 billion for construction of the Okokomaiko-Iddo-Marina Line, with an estimated completion date of 2011. However, the project suffered many delays due to lack of funds.[5][6] The opening date was revised to June 2013, then December 2016, then 2017.[7][5] As of November 2016, only 16 km (9.9 mi) of the 27 km (16.8 mi) Blue Line had been completed.[7] It began service on 4 September, 2023.[8] In its first year (ending in September 2024), the Blue Line carried roughly 2 million passengers.[9]
Starting in August 2024, 72 train services run every day, an increase in frequency from 54 previously.[9]
Development plan
[edit]Lagos State is financing construction of the Blue Line with its own resources.[6] The proposed advantages of the blue line are that is will allow commuters to spend less time travelling in the area by avoiding traffic jams which can take many hours to get through, whilst also being cheaper.[10] A journey that would have taken two hours in traffic can now be taken in fifteen minutes.[1] The trains are electrified, and security has been provided to prevent vandalism.[1]
Contractors
[edit]The contract was awarded to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC),[7] with advisory services being provided by CPCS Transcom Limited.
Rolling Stock
[edit]In September 2011, LAMATA announced that it would acquire some H5-series subway trains formerly used by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) for the Blue Line. The cars were to be refurbished in the United States and converted to standard gauge before being imported and put into service on the Blue and Red lines. The same contract also included an option for some H6-series subway cars from the TTC, however this has since been cancelled.
In January 2015, LAMATA opted for Chinese-built trains instead, ordering 15 electro-diesel multiple units from CRRC Dalian with an option for 14 more. About 76 H5 cars that had been taken for refurbishment to Buffalo, New York, have been scrapped by August 2015.
In August 2018, LAMATA signed an agreement with Alstom. As a part of the agreement, Alstom conducted a review of the rail lines, and electrification of a portion of the track was planned.
Planned route
[edit]The Blue Line will run 27 kilometres (17 mi) from Okokomaiko to Lagos Marina,[6][11] with 13 stations and an end-to-end journey time of 35 minutes. The entire Blue Line will operate over a secure and exclusive right-of-way, with no level crossings and no uncontrolled access by pedestrians or vehicles. The route will run on the surface in the central reservation of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway between Igbo-Elerin Road (Okokomaiko) and Iganmu. The line will then be elevated from Iganmu along the south side of the expressway passing the junction with Eric Moore Road, crossing just south of the National Theatre to Iddo, then south to Lagos Island with a terminal at Marina connecting with the Red Line. A Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) will be constructed at Okokomaiko, with a track connection from the Blue Line to the depot.[citation needed]
Phase I
[edit]
The first phase was opened for testing on 21 December 2022.[12] This phase travels 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from Lagos Marina to Mile 2 interchanging with the Red Line. [6][11] The 5 stations being opened are: Lagos Marina, National Theatre, Orile Iganmu, Suru Alaba, Mile 2.[11] The line was undergoing testing during December 2022 and January 2023 before opening to passengers on 4 September, 2023.[8][6][11]
Phase II
[edit]Construction of the second phase, from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, commenced after the first phase opened for passenger service. Construction of this project began in 2023 and is currently expected to be completed in 2027.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Start of Lagos metro offers dramatically reduced journey times". Reuters. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ "Metro rail service starts in Nigeria's Lagos, set to ease traffic". Al Jazeera. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ "Lagos gets a new elevated rail network". Yahoo News. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ Railway Gazette International. "Lagos metro train unveiled". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Lagos light rail now to be completed 2017". BusinessDay. 21 October 2015. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Lagos gets a new elevated rail network". Quartz. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ a b c Fahd, Abdulmalik (25 November 2016). "December knocking: Where is the Lagos light rail?". Ventures Africa.
- ^ a b "Metro rail service starts in Nigeria's Lagos, set to ease traffic". www.msn.com. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
- ^ a b "Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line moves 2m passengers in one year". Guardian Nigeria. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
- ^ "Why Blue line is game changer for Lagos transportation system". Tribune Online. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d Ologunagbe, Olamide (23 December 2022). "What you need to know about Lagos Blue Line Rail". Businessday NG. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ Burroughs, David (5 January 2023). "First stage of Lagos metro opens". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
- ^ "Lagos to deliver second phase of blue rail project in 2027". The Guardian. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
External links
[edit]
Rapid transit in Africa | |
|---|---|
 | This article about transport in Nigeria is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |