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Sanwo-Olu Flags Off Commercial Operations Of Lagos Blue Rail With 800 Passengers Onboard Electric Train
Governor Sanwo-Olu flags off commercial operations of Lagos Blue Rail with 800 passengers.
Sanwo-Olu also took part in the inaugural ride on the electric-powered train from the Marina Station to Mile 2.
Ride from Marina to Mile 2 took 25 mins, with a 90-sec stoppage at each of the five stations before the final destination.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday September 4th 2023 flagged off the commercial operations of the first phase of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line (Marina – Mile 2).
Sanwo-Olu, in the company of his wife, Ibijoke and Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, also took part in the inaugural ride on the electric-powered train from the Marina Station to Mile 2.
The Governor, who was the first passenger at the iconic Marina Station of the Blue Line Rail, served as the Head of the Train Operations during the first commercial operations of the Blue Line rail.
The ride from the Marina Terminal to Mile 2 took about 25 minutes, with a 90-second stoppage at each of the five stations before the final destination.
Speaking to journalists at the Marina Station, Governor Sanwo-Olu urged Lagosians to take ownership of the project and warned against pedestrian crossing of the rail tracks, saying that they are electrified.
Sanwo-Olu said:
“About 800 of us have just completed the first commercial journey on the Blue Line. I think we all had a wonderful experience this morning. I am extremely excited about the work that LAMATA and all other stakeholders have done to ensure that we can keep our commitment to start this operation on the 4th of September, 2023.
“I am dressed as the Head of the Train Operators to ensure that simple safety and security procedures are kept throughout the journey. All of these very simple safety and security tips were complied with during and throughout the journey.
“The LASRRA (Lagos State Residents Registration Agency) card, which is our state’s citizens identity card, can also be used on the train. So I want to employ all of you, especially students to go and get your LASRRA cards because you can use them to travel on the train.
“On the Cowry Card, we have almost 4 million citizens that have the Cowry cards already and the cards can be used on the train, on our buses, BRT and also on the ferry service. So, let us go out there and get our Cowry card and top it up so that we can enjoy our integrated urban mass transportation system that we have talked about.”
