Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday reiterated that the Red Line rail will commence operation by the first quarter of 2023, noting that the continual inspection was to ensure that the deadline for the project remained unchanged.

Aside from the Blue Line which starts from Marina station, the Red Line begins from Agbado and terminates at Oyingbo.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who inspected the ongoing project, in the company of his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Kadri Hamzat, alongside other exco members, reaffirmed his conviction, saying the contractor had given assurances that all the physical infrastructures of the project would be completed by the end of December to allow testing of the rail line before full operations.

The governor, who addressed newsmen at Ebute-Metta station, said that the Agege station would have to be walled off so that traders would desist from putting merchandise on the tracks, adding that traders on the Yaba rail would also be relocated as, according to him, the state government had already informed the concerned traders on the development.

“We have been out since the past four to four and a half hours. Now we are here at the intersection of Apapa Road that takes us to Ebute-Metta station.

“The Red Line is a project that was conceived by this government. It is a project that was started by this government and you can see that we are working. By the end of this year, we should be rounding up on the Red Line. Each time we come, there have been significant progress on this corridor.

“We are here to ensure that we exceed our promise so that the operation will start the first quarter of 2023. What they are doing is that the physical infrastructure is completed by December, the stations, all bridges, all walkways, all pedestrian bridges by December so that we can start testing. Operationally, it needs to take a few months. We are hoping that the operation will start within the first quarter of 2023.

“Our journey today started from Agege station. You have seen what we have been doing at Agege station. If they are bringing passengers from Ibadan, they move down and join our own intra-city train station. You can see there is connectivity between our own station in Agege and NRC station.

“From Agege, we moved to Ikeja. Ikeja happens to be iconic station on the Red Line. The station is on a wide expanse of land of 240 metres, it equals three times of almost a football field. It’s at roof level, it’s going into completion. All the infrastructure that will make it first class.

“After that, we went to inspect the overpass to Awolowo Road to Agege Motor Road going to Mangoro. It is a T-Brudge, it’s on plan to be completed by the end of October.

“Similarly at the Mushin station, we have a bridge from Kayode Street and Ikorodu Road side up to Ogunmokun side in Mushun going to Agege Motor Road There are one or two schools we need to relocate. On the rail tracks, there are several demolitions that had taken place. At Mushin, we also have bridge that makes it the second bridge overpass.

“At Yaba, there are two major infrastructural development there. The train station is at roof level. You could see that it is on track, it’s on schedule between October to December deadline.

“Similarly, the bridge from Tejuoso to Muritala Mohammed. It’s also a T-bridge as you have in Ikeja. The contractor also gave November that the bridge will be completed.

“From there we are now here at Ebute-Metta, from Apapa Road to Muritala Mohammed Road. We have a bridge overpass and we have a train station. The civil work of that station has been completed, it’s also on schedule to ensure that they hand it over by November/December.

“This particular place is very challenging because of the density there. It was difficult for the contractor to have accessed for drilling. I’m happy that all of that have happened now. They are now doing concrete institute,” Governor Sanwo-Olu stated.

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