The Red Line is a 37km rail route proposed to run from Agbado to Marina with 13 stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, MMIA International, (domestic), Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, Ebute Metta, Iddo, Ebute Ero, and Marina.
It is the second mass transportation system in Lagos, after the 27km Blue Line that is already in operation, designed to run from Okokomiko to Marina
The red line proposed as Public Private Partnership (PPP) is one of the six rail lines and one metro line designed to revolutionise public transportation system in Nigeria’s economic hub. The six rail lines are encapsulated in the state’s transportation master plan, developed by Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).
In 2017, Olusegun Aganga, former minister of Industry, Trade and Investment under the Jonathan administration had said the project has the capacity to generate 5,000 and over 10, 000 direct and indirect jobs respectively. “People commuting from Agbado to Marina and Iddo and other places will save four to five hours of productive time,” Aganga said.
The rail is designed to begin as a double line at Marina and runs through Ebute Ero ending at Iddo. It then runs northwards via a reverse curve to reach Ebute Metta. The line runs straight to Yaba, Mushin and Oshodi before reaching Ikeja.
At the Ikeja station, the Red line will be linked to the line from the international and domestic airport terminal. From Ikeja, a single line will run to the airport terminals. The Red line moves as a double line further northwards from Ikeja to pass through Agege, Iju and finally reaches Agbado.
It is expected to be a major boost to the Lagos transportation system especially on Agbado-Iddo route where passengers are seen daily hanging on moving trains due to the shortage of transportation facilities to meet the growing demand of the people. It is estimated that the line will move about 1.8 million people daily.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who spoke at the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) Stakeholders Forum 2024, held at the GRA, Ikeja, on Wednesday, said
“The 37km Red Line Rail will run from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo on Lagos mainland. It will be the second of the six proposed integrated mass rail transit corridors in Nigeria’s biggest commercial city. The first, the Blue Line Rail flagged off commercial operations in 2023.
Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos State Parking Policy, which came into effect with the establishment of the Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA), was to regulate all forms of parking by adopting innovative, adaptable, and sustainable operational system and technologies, declaring that his administration was intentional and unrelenting in its efforts to address all traffic issues in the state by identified indiscriminate parking as one of the major challenges to the free flow of traffic.
In view of this, a model that ensures a win-win situation between the state and local governments had been adopted, adding that with such approach “Lagos has already shown that this kind of State—LGA partnership can work, through the establishment of LASAA, and through the Land Use Charge, and we are now set to showcase the same with the Lagos State Parking Authority.”
Sanwo-Olu has however expressed excitement for the Red Line being commissioned today, as the construction started during his administration.
