•Targets N1.6trn annual revenue
By Omodele Adigun
Governor Babajide Sanwoolu will at 9 a.m this morning take the inaugural ride on the Lagos Blue Line Rail to signal the commencement of commercial operations of the train, expected to fetch the state an annual revenue of about N1.6trillion.
Announcing the commercial operations commencement at a press conference Wednesday in Lagos, the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), , its operator, Mr Abimbola Akinajo, said about 150,000 passengers are expected to board the train daily. “The train would run 12 trips in two schedules for now – 6.30 am to 10 am (morning peak) and 4.30 pm – 9 pm (evening peak). The train will stop for 90 seconds at each station. It will run 76 trips, from 5.30 am to 11 pm, when it becomes fully operational in four weeks,” she said.
The full length of the train trip from Marina – Mile 2, according to Akinajo, will cost N750 but noted that the 50 percent discount announced by Governor Sanwo-Olu on all Lagos public transportation rides also applies to the train ride. She said: “A full Journey from Marina to Mile 2 will cost N750 and Zonal fares will be between N400 and N500 for people not making the complete full trip. The transportation palliative announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will also cover the Train system, meaning that the highest fare for the full trip will be N375.”
She added that passengers could only access the service with their cowry cards, noting that cash or paper tickets would not be accepted.
A Daily Sun computation based on the N375 fare and 150000 passengers, all things being equal, shows that the train will rake in about N4.28 billion daily and N1,560,375trillion annually. Akinajo, who took reporters on a guided ride and tour of the physical infrastructure of the Blue Line Rail from the Marina Station to the National Arts Theatre Station in Orile-Iganmu, said Sanwo-Olu would take the inaugural ride on the train at 9 a.m. on Monday, September 4, before other passengers begin to ride.
She said partial passenger operations will start on Tuesday from 6:30 am to 10 am for the morning peak and the afternoon Peak from 4 pm to 9:30 pm, adding that the operations will start with 12 trips for two weeks, which will later be increased to 76 trips per day.
Mrs Akinajo disclosed that though the train is electric, it would run on locomotive for the first four weeks of operation to allow the electric system come up fully and sync properly with the physical infrastructure, adding that the plan is to enable passengers get familiar with the rail system.
She said despite the fact that the train running on locomotive for the first four weeks, the tracks would remain energised so that passengers are not allowed to cross them.