Jide Sanwo-Olu Reinvents Jakande’s Dream For Lagos Metroline: The City To Have Africa’s Fastest Trains
The Oasis Reporters
January 23, 2022
When General Olusegun Obasanjo handed over to democratic governance in 1979, one Unity Party Of Nigeria (UPN) governor, Lateef Kayode Jakande of Lagos was a star performer. He shot off the mark to modernize and transform the chaotic Lagos transport system by investing in a Metroline.
Four years and three months later, the democratic government was overthrown by Major General Muhammadu Buhari. That ended the Lagos Metroline dream, because he unilaterally cancelled it.
Thirty eight years after, a political grandson is brushing up the useful project through 330km/h trains, acquired by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu from Talgo Group, a Madrid-based manufacturer of high-speed passenger trains.
Today, I inspected our newly acquired Talgo Intra-City Ten Coach metropolitan trains, for our Red Line Metro project in Lagos.
— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) January 19, 2022
These new trains which were originally intended to connect Madison and Milwaukee in the United States, are now headed for Lagos state. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/xWpJXubUmq
The West African country’s high-speed rail network is about to get bigger, faster and cheaper, following the announcement of the Red Line metro project.
When completed, the Red Line rail network will have 11 stations and will be the first operational metro system in West Africa, 38 years after the first Metroline visioner, Lateef Kayode Jakande was forced out of office via a military coup, led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
The 37 km Red Line on completion will traverse eight stations and move passengers from Agbado to Oyingbo.
— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) January 19, 2022
We have completed the acquisition of the trains and ramping up the completion of the ancillary infrastructure like the train stations. (2/3) pic.twitter.com/KHK11BgqFB
The military coup by Buhari on December 31st, 1983 rolled out decrees to probe and jail politicians. In the process, the Lagos Metroline was arbitrarily cancelled. Yet Lagos State still had to pay for the entire contract sum, based on the irrevocable agreements signed.
Lagos State irredeemably lost. The city grew more chaotic but the dream of the people remained in their hearts while they continued in “suffering and smiling”, according to a hit song by city’s Afrobeat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Political grandson, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reinvented a scaled down model of the big dream of Lateef Kayode Jakande, and older Lagosians are nodding in smiles.
Jakande has passed on. But his dream lives on.
Therefore the city of Lagos will now has the fastest trains in Africa – with a top speed of 330km/h – which it recently acquired as part of its plans to launch the Red Line metro project, a 37-kilometre intracity railway system.
The 330km/h trains were acquired by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, from Talgo Group, a Madrid-based manufacturer of high-speed passenger trains.
The 330-KPH trains were sold to the state by Talgo Group, a Madrid-based manufacturer of high-speed passenger trains.
We are irrevocably committed to completing the Red Line Metro rail project by the end of this year and bring a new lease of life to public transportation in Lagos. (3/3)#ForAGreaterLagos pic.twitter.com/l7deR7MlHV
— Babajide Sanwo-Olu (@jidesanwoolu) January 19, 2022
The ‘Red Line’ rail is expected to commence commercial operations between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. When completed, the rail network will have 11 stations and will also become the first operational metro system in West Africa designed to convey at least 500,000 passengers daily in the first phase of operation.
“The 37km Red Line on completion will traverse eight stations and move passengers from Agbado to Oyingbo,” Governor Banajide Sanwo-Olu said on Wednesday.
“We are ramping up completion of the ancillary infrastructure like the train stations.”
The ‘Red Line’ rail is expected to commence commercial operations between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023.
On Tuesday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu completed the acquisition deal of the trains at a public event inside the Milwaukee facilities of Spanish train manufacturer Talgo Incorporated in the United States.
Commenting on the acquisition, Sanwo-Olu said the move was in line with his administration’s commitment to Traffic Management and Transportation of the THEMES developmental agenda.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu completed the acquisition deal of the trains at a public event inside the Milwaukee facilities of Spanish train manufacturer Talgo Incorporated in the United States.
“Part of what we have done in the last two and half years is to have what we call Integrated Urban Mass transportation system, where we will be using road infrastructure, waterway infrastructure and rail infrastructure so that we can move over 20 million Lagosians within and around the city,” he said.
“We hope that this (purchase of the trains) 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.
Additional reporting:
Business Insider Africa
Twitter
The Oasis Reporters In-house team