Lagos adds 24 coaches to Red Line

File photo: Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State

Lagos State is adding 24 coaches to its Red Line rail service, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced via his X page on Wednesday. He said the three new train sets were expected to enter passenger operations before the end of the year.

The additional trains could significantly increase the number of commuters carried on the Oyingbo-Agbado corridor, with each eight-coach set designed to accommodate up to 2,000 passengers per trip.

Sanwo-Olu said the expansion would create more capacity and allow more frequent services on the line.

“We have commenced the offloading of three new train sets, comprising 24 coaches, for the Red Line,” the governor said.

“Each eight-coach train can carry up to 2,000 passengers per trip. This means more capacity, more room for commuters and the opportunity to run more frequent services along the Oyingbo-Agbado corridor.”

He said the trains were procured with support from the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu.

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The new coaches are expected to strengthen the Red Line’s capacity to move commuters between the northern part of Lagos and the city’s commercial centres, although the governor did not disclose how many additional daily trips would be introduced or the precise date passenger services would begin.

The development comes as Lagos pursues further expansion of its urban rail network. The Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Abimbola Akinajo, announced last month that three additional stations on the Blue Line (FESTAC, Alakija and Trade Fair) were scheduled to open by the end of February 2027.

The stations will extend the Blue Line beyond its existing five stops at Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba and Mile 2, bringing the total to eight.

Akinajo, who spoke at the 2026 media parley organised by the state Ministry of Transportation, said the expansion would bring rail services closer to residents along the FESTAC-Alakija-Trade Fair corridor.

She also disclosed that four Quality Bus Corridors were nearing completion, while work was progressing on interchange hubs at Marina and Mile 2.

The Red Line’s additional trains and the planned Blue Line stations represent separate stages of the state’s efforts to expand rail capacity and improve access to mass transit. Their impact, however, will depend on the timely deployment of the trains, reliable service frequency and the completion of supporting infrastructure needed to make rail journeys a practical alternative for more Lagos commuters.