An Update Into The Lagos Light Rail Projects: The Sights, The Feels And The Vibes

The Lagos Light Rail Project may go in history as the longest time ever taken to complete a rail in Africa and even if possible in the world. Its almost getting to 13 years and nothing tangible can be said of this project. The contractors are still at Eko Bridge battling with the pillars while the ones at Orile, Mile 2, Iganmu are been taken over by hoodlums and street traders.

The Lagos Rail Mass Transit is an urban rail system being developed and under construction in Lagos. The system is being managed by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and is envisioned to consist eventually of seven lines. The railway equipment including electric power, signaling, rolling stock, and fare collection equipment will be provided by the private sector under a Concession Contract. LAMATA is responsible for policy direction, regulation, and infrastructure for the network.

The first section of the network, Phase I of the Blue Line, was originally planned to be completed in 2011. After many delays caused by funding shortfalls, the opening date was revised to 2022.

The mass transit rail project called the Blue Line awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation had suffered many delays due to the paucity of funds and other challenges. The Lagos Light Rail started 2008, same time Ethiopia started its railway and so far, they have been at the same location for the past four years.

For some of us who ply through Eko-Bridge, Leventis and Apogbon area regularly, you must have noticed some giant beams which are built close to the main bridge. The bridge belongs to the Lagos Light Rail, this is the carriage for the train that will stop at CMS.

In an exclusive reportage monitored by AutoReportNG, we took a trip from Idumota all through the location of this construction to see how they were working and we can report that work is truly on-going but at a slow pace. The spokesman of CCECC while talking on CCTV News said the challenges they are having with the bridge has to do with the strong current and waves from the ocean. According to him, the waves are strong that they wash anything they placed on it, he said, they were only able to work for 20minutes in a day. The waves are calmer during the evening period which they had to rush to quickly work before night comes.

AutoReportNG observed that some of the infrastructures that are already completed like those in Mile 2, Orile, Iganmu are already decaying, some have turned to a hideout for criminals as no one uses them save for mad people who have turned the place to home. Orile, for instance, has turned to a place where the miscreants sleep at night, the under bridge has to turn to refuse dumb among others. Even those at Ijora Olopa en route CMS are still there with nothing going on with them.

It will be recalled that in August 2018, LAMATA signed an agreement with Alstom. As a part of the agreement, Alstom has conducted a review of the rail lines. After the review of the rail project, which should have initiated passenger activity, the state government said the Blue Line, would now be ready for passenger operation by 2022. This deal also plans for the electrification of a portion of the track.

Now that Lagos has a new governor, we hope this will be taken care of as soon as possible and also be a major front burner for him but it seems Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu might not be ready to shoulder the weight of the Lagos Light Rail at least for now.

These are some of the images we got from our tour right from the spot at Eko Bridge close to Leventis at CMS.

This is the prototype