It was reported in the news over the weekend that the Lagos State Government has set 2022 as the take-off year of the much-awaited Lagos Metro Rail. As good as this news may be, it is, however, embarrassing that a state like Lagos State can not complete a 27km railway line that will run from Okokomaiko-Iddo-Marina Line.
Let's quickly do a timeline review of this railway history, according to Wikipedia, these are the timelines.
- 2008: A metro is proposed for Lagos, allegedly with a completion date of 2011.
- 2009: Construction commences on the Blue Line.
- 2010: Lagos Rail Mass Transit to proceed.
- 2016: Phase I (the Blue Line from Marina to Mile 2) planned to open in December 2016.
- 2018: After an Alstom review of the project, Phase I (the Blue Line from Marina to Mile 2) is now set to open in December 2022.
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.
READ: An Update Into The Lagos Light Rail Projects: The Sights, The Feels And The Vibes
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 the Eko-Bridge, Leventis and Apogbon area at Lagos Island, 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.
It will be recalled that the idea of developing rapid transit in Lagos dates from 1983 with the Lagos Metroline network conceived by the Alhaji Lateef Jakande during the Second Nigerian Republic. The initial Metroline project was scrapped in 1985 by Pres. Muhammadu Buhari at a loss of over $78 million to the Lagos taxpayers. The idea of developing a light rail network for Lagos was revived by Lagos former Governor, Bola Tinubu in the early 2000s with a formal announcement of its construction in December 2003.
This initial $135 million proposal was part of the greater Lagos Urban Transportation Project to be implemented by the newly formed Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). LAMATA initially concentrated on developing a Bus Rapid Transit system, running from Mile 12 to Lagos Island. In 2008, LAMATA began also to make progress with the rail project, focusing initially on the Blue Line and the Red Line.
RELATED: The True State of Lagos Light Rail Marina Axis - Photos
With over 22million people all using the road as a means of transportation says a lot about the state of our roads. Now that the Lagos State government has finally wakened up from its slumber all thanks to the traffic the people are going through daily with the bad roads which makes driving hellish for motorists, the Lagos Metro Rail will go a long in reducing hours of traffic time and also help to preserve the roads.
It will be recalled also that Abuja Light Rail Blue Line is completed, Abuja - Kaduna rail is completed, Lagos - Ibadan rail is nearing completion. All of these constructions started after the Lagos Blue Line which is in shadows of itself with no life at all.
A visit to the site shows that the workers and contractors have all abandoned the project as weeds and area boys have taken over the place. When you pass through CMS which ought to have a terminal shows nothing as the equipment of the CCECC have been moved close to Marina Statehouse.
AutoReportNG went out to capture the sights and sounds of the Lagos Light Rail, we covered the Lagos Island axis, you can be the judge. Except miracle happens, The proposed 2022 will be a facade.
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