Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, along with officials and residents, inaugurated the commercial operations of the Blue Line Rail system with a maiden train ride from Marina to Mile 2.
The journey commenced at 9:13 am on Monday, September 4, 2023, with brief stops at the National Theatre in Iganmu and Alaba to allow passengers to disembark. Upon reaching Mile 2, Governor Sanwo-Olu and some passengers returned to Marina on the same train.
Addressing journalists after the trip, Sanwo-Olu commended the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and other stakeholders for the completion of the project.
He also revealed that the Cowry Card, an e-payment system used for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), will be the payment method for the train.
This development follows the inauguration of the first phase of the Blue Line Rail project by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January.
Prior to the inauguration, Sanwo-Olu launched a test run of the project designed to run from Mile 2 (on the mainland) to Marina (on the island).
In June, LAMATA announced that the blue line would be open for passenger operations in August 2023.