- July 24, 2024
- Posted by: Kolawole Ojelabi
- Categories: LAMATA-NEWS, RailWay
Today, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority commenced the trial run for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line in preparation for the start of passenger operations, after weeks of engineering, speed, and weight tests.
The test run successfully simulated, and demonstrated track sharing arrangement with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) involving all station officers and officials.
This operational test run aims to improve the efficiency of the rail system’s operational framework.
This signifies a significant step towards commencing passenger operations on the Red Line, which aims to revolutionize transportation in Lagos.
The test run was carried out with the British rail set class 43 HST train.
The British rail class 43 HST train offers flexible seating per coach. It can comfortably seat 60 passengers per coach for shorter trips, but it can accommodate up to 150 people, including standing passengers for intracity commute.
The train can be configured with five or six carriages. While it can exceed 120 kilometers per hour (mph), its operational speed is currently limited to 50 mph due to regulations set by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
The project is anticipated to significantly impact the growth of Lagos’s economic activity and overall quality of life. It will reduce travel times between Agbado and Oyingbo to just 55 minutes from close to three hours.