Blue Line Rail: We’re Discussing With Ogun Govt Over Extension To Agbara ― Sanwo-Olu

Blue Line Rail: We’re Discussing With Ogun Govt Over Extension To Agbara ― Sanwo-Olu

• As Gov hints on arrival of two trains in October

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, said there are plans to discuss with his Ogun State counterpart, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on extending the Blue Line rail project to Agbara from Okokomaiko.

The governor made this known at the celebration of the launch of the last T-beam for the Blue Line rail mass transit project, adding that the two trains bought in China for the project would arrive in Lagos in October.

The Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line project is a 27-kilometre rail line from Marina to Okokomaiko.

The first 13-kilometre stretch of the rail from Mile 2 to Marina under construction is divided into four phases to enable the government to fund its construction.

To get to this point, the contractor had completed 1967 pile foundations, 306 platforms, 310 piers, 267 cover beams, fabrication and erection of 984 T beams.

Governor Sanwo-Olu described the launch of the last T-beam as historical, as according to him, it signposts that the Blue Rail Line project would be delivered on schedule, even as he expressed his administration’s commitment to the citizens to ensure that the project was completed on time.

This was just as he also said that his administration was on a journey and not just making promises but working to ensure that the trains’ commercial operation starts in the first quarter of 2023 as earlier promised, noting that the T-beam that was launched on Wednesday was the 984th for the Blue Line rail project.

In her welcome address, the Managing Director (MD) of LAMATA, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, said construction of the Blue Line had been one of the most difficult projects the state government had embarked upon, given the many challenges it had had to overcome.

She, however, assured that the day’s event witnessing the final T beam launch indicated that the state government was gradually inching to the completion of the civil infrastructure for the first four phases of the Blue line from Mile 2 to Marina.

“The construction of the Blue Line has been one of the most difficult projects the Lagos State government has embarked upon given the many challenges we have had to overcome.

“To get to this point, we have had disturbances and delays in the relocation of submarine cables, submarine natural gas pipelines, and removal of underground ship wreckages. The submarine geological conditions are complex, thus making construction in the lagoon extremely difficult.

“On a number of times, barges have collided with the trestle supporting our construction activities while the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic and the long transportation cycle of imported equipment and materials have contributed to delays in the prompt completion of the rail project.

“Today’s final T beam launch, therefore, indicates that we are gradually inching to the completion of the civil infrastructure for the first four phases of the Blue line from Mile 2 to Marina.”