Lagos State Government has acquired two sets of new 10 cars 330kmph trains for the 37 km track Lagos Red Line rail project.
The Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu completed the acquisition deal of the trains at a public event inside the Milwaukee facilities of a Spanish train manufacturer in the United States.
In a remark during the ceremony, Governor Sanwo-Olu said his administration was excited over the purchase of the brand new trains which had been configured to fit into the tracks of the Redline in Lagos.
“We hope that this will be the beginning of a mutually beneficial business relationship, providing a source of livelihood for our citizens is all about providing jobs for our people and that is what we are doing. It is about ensuring that we can build our economy; people can move from one location to another and businesses can grow” the Governor said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu presenting a souvenir to the Ag. Mayor of Milwaukee, Cavalier Johnson during the event
The acting Mayor of Milwaukee, Cavalier Johnson, who received Governor Sanwo-Olu in the city, said: “It is a little bittersweet. I am sending my congratulations to the Governor of Lagos State in Nigeria, but also a little disappointed that we missed out on the opportunity to have those train sets operating here in Milwaukee and in Wisconsin.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu who was accompanied by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde; Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye and Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Engr. Abimbola Akinajo, inspected the interior design of the newly acquired Talgo 330kmph intra-city metropolitan trains.
Since the commencement of his administration on May 29, 2019, Governor Sanwo-Olu has shown commitment to bringing the Red Line project to fruition before the expiration of his tenure.
The Governor had specifically promised Lagosians that the first phase of the Red Line will begin by the last quarter of 2022 or the first quarter of 2023,
With a capacity of 500,000 passengers daily, the red line which will have 11 stations when completed will be the first operational metro system in West Africa.
RN