Lagos Blue Line records 3.5 million passengers in one year as daily ridership hits 15,000

The Lagos State Government says the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Blue Line transported about 3.5 million passengers in 2025, with daily ridership on the corridor rising to 15,000 commuters.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Open in WhatsApp

The Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed this during the 2026 ministerial press briefing held to mark the third year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

“The daily trips on the Blue Line increased from 57 trips to 72 trips and currently stands at 90 daily trips in 2025, showing growing public acceptance of the rail system,” the commissioner explained.

Mr Osiyemi said the state government had continued to strengthen operations on the corridor through the deployment of additional coaches and ongoing infrastructure expansion.

He stated that construction work on Phase II of the Blue Line was progressing, with track laying, station construction, installation of power systems and other supporting rail infrastructure ongoing.

The ministry stated that major infrastructure components of the project, including the Mazamaza and LASU bridges, had been completed, while work was advancing on stations at Festac, LASU and Volkswagen.

Speaking further, the commissioner said the government was also expanding operations on the Red Line rail project to improve connectivity and reduce travel time across Lagos.

Stay Ahead with Premium Times

Add as a preferred source on Google

According to the report, the first phase of the 37-kilometre LRMT Red Line corridor runs from Agbado to Oyingbo and shares tracks with the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

The government added that it recently received a new set of 24-car trains to strengthen operations on the Red Line, improve passenger capacity and reduce waiting time for commuters.

The Blue Line, Lagos’ first intra-city rail system, began commercial operations in September 2023 on the Marina–Mile 2 corridor after years of delays.

The first phase of the rail project covers about 13 kilometres, while Phase II is expected to extend the line to Okokomaiko as part of efforts to improve mass transit and reduce pressure on road transportation in the state.

Ridership on the corridor has grown steadily since launch. In January 2024, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) said the Blue Line had transported more than 583,000 passengers within its first four months of operation.

By September 2024, the rail line had moved over two million passengers.

In a related statement posted on X on Tuesday by the ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Bolanle Ogunlola, the agency had transported more than 60 million passengers since the commencement of its operations.

According to the statement, Mr Osiyemi disclosed this during the same ministerial briefing, noting that the bus service remains a key component of the state’s integrated transport system.

According to the ministry’s report, LBSL transported 60,882,000 passengers between May 2019 and February 2025.

The report added that the agency currently moves over 42,266 passengers daily and operates an average of 1,000 bus trips each day across the state.

READ ALSO: 11 die in lone accident on Lagos-Abeokuta expressway

The ministry said the agency had maintained relatively affordable fares since inception compared to fares charged by informal transport operators.

Mr Osiyemi said LBSL currently operates the widest public bus network coverage in Lagos, serving all five IBILE divisions and 13 local government areas, including Ibeju-Lekki, Ojo and Ikorodu.

The report showed that the agency presently operates 21 transport corridors and more than 40 bus routes supported by six depots and a fleet of 300 buses.

Mr Osiyemi said the developments reflected the commitment of the Sanwo-Olu administration to building an integrated, safe, affordable and efficient transport system in line with the government’s THEMES+ Agenda.

He added that the state government would continue to expand public transport infrastructure and improve connectivity across road, rail and water transportation systems in Lagos.