Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assured that his administration would ensure that the Lagos Blue and Red Rail lines commence operation between last quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2023.
The governor disclosed this after carrying out inspection and taking a ride on the ongoing Blue project in the state from National Theatre Station to Mile 2 station yesterday.
He said his administration had been committed to realising the rail projects in the last two years,adding that the Blue Line Rail would be running on electric tracks.
He said that works on the project was 90 per cent completed as the contractors were working seven days a week.
The governor, who said the state was set to bring in additional two sets of four train coaches from China by September and October, added that adequate security would be put in place at every stations and platforms with the use of CCTV.
According to him,the state government would soon clampdown on companies purchasing components of rail tracks infrastructure, saying they would be prosecuted.
He added:”We started our journey from the National Art Theatre. We were on tracks from Orile-Iganmu to Alaba station and to Mile 2 station and we were all taking round the stations which we call concourse.At the Iganmu Station is just one but Alaba and Mile 2 are double concourse. Finally, we took the train back to National Art Theatre where we all inspected a brand new train and that is a typical train that will be used on the blue line. This is the first time I’m taking you on the blue line to the see where we are.
“The Blue Line terminates at Marina, at the back in Marina, it is an elevated station and it stretches out to outer Marina and where the Governor’s residence is, it is where it terminates. At the end of the station, you could see that the track is broken into two bridges. Why we have to have the back track is for parking.’’
“The next major activity on the Blue Line is what we called third rail. The rail is powered, it will be activated in this rail track. The blue, for emphasis will be running on EMU which is an electric motor vehicles, so they need to have power on the rail tracks.
“So that is where we have to have a lot of advocacy and information onto the citizens especially where the Orile station up to Mile 2. They are at the ground level that is electric. We have wired off all the alignments but our citizens have started breaking the wires, we will go back for enforcement.
“When the tracks start, they are going to be running on electric. Citizens and passengers cannot walk on those tracks. You have that responsibility till the next six months that those tracks are not like the red line. Red line is DMV, the blue line is EMV.
“We are happy that the contractors are working seven days a week. The major aspect, apart from the Marina station is a sea crossing from Eko Bridge to join outer Marina. They have to finish it in about three months.
“By the time we will be coming back in July, the concrete construction should have been completed. It will just be finishing inside the train stations and the terminal buildings”
