The Lagos State Government, through its Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), has commenced the passenger test run of the 37-kilometer Red Line rail.
This follows weeks of rigorous engineering, speed, and weight tests on the trains.
The rail line, which spans from Agbado to Oyingbo, comprises eight stations: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.
The trial run will utilize the British rail class 43 HST train, offering flexible seating per coach, accommodating 60 passengers comfortably, and up to 150 passengers, including standing room, for intracity trips.
The train can be configured with five or six carriages and reaches speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour (km/h), although it is currently limited to 50 km/h.
The passenger test run began barely four months after President Bola Tinubu commissioned the transport facility to reduce dependence on road transportation in Lagos.
LAMATA Managing Director, Abimbola Akinajo, disclosed this on Tuesday, July 23, during a media parley organized by the State’s Ministry of Transportation in Ikeja.
Akinajo, represented by Olasunkanmi Odusanya, emphasized that efforts are being made to ensure the train begins full operations by the end of the third quarter of 2024.
