Lagos extends Blue Line service to 94 trips, brings operation opening time forward

The Lagos State transport agency stated that the revised timetable will take effect from Monday, 15 June.

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has increased daily trips on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line from 90 to 94 and adjusted its weekday and Saturday operations to begin earlier at 6:00 a.m.

In a statement on Monday, the agency’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kolawole Ojelabi, stated that the revised timetable will take effect from Monday, 15 June.

He said the adjustment was aimed at improving passenger convenience, reducing waiting time, and easing congestion as more commuters continue to adopt the rail service.

“Trains will now begin operations at 6:00 a.m. from Monday to Saturday, allowing commuters to travel earlier and avoid peak-hour traffic,” Mr Ojelabi noted. “The increase to 94 daily trips will further improve service efficiency and reduce platform congestion.”

He added that Sunday services had also been increased from 22 to 24 trips, with trains operating at steady 30-minute intervals throughout the day.

According to him, the upgrade reflects the growing patronage of the Blue Line since commercial operations began on 4 September 2023. He stated that the system has carried more than six million passengers so far.

The Blue Line has become one of the key pillars of urban transport reform led by the Lagos State Government, as the state pushes to reduce traffic pressure on road networks and expand mass transit options. LAMATA had earlier disclosed that the line carried about 3.5 million passengers in 2025, with daily ridership continuing to grow.

The development comes on the same day the federal government announced plans to extend the Lagos rail network to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, in a move expected to improve connectivity to Nigeria’s busiest aviation hub.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, explained that the proposed extension would link the rail line from Ikeja directly to the airport terminals.

Speaking at the Invest Lagos 3.0 forum in Lagos, Mr Keyamo said the project is being discussed between the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government.

He explained that the rail link would pass through the General Aviation Terminal, extend to the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited), before terminating at the international terminal.

He stated that the project is part of efforts to improve access to the airport and strengthen the role of Lagos as a regional aviation hub.

Mr Keyamo also said Lagos accounts for about 67 per cent of passenger traffic in Nigeria’s airports, describing the city as central to the country’s aviation economy.

He added that Lagos’ geographic position gives it a natural advantage as a continental hub linking Africa with Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas.

According to him, about $500 million is being invested in the reconstruction and modernisation of the Lagos international terminal to expand capacity and improve passenger experience.

He also said the federal government has expanded Nigeria’s international airport network with the addition of Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo and Maiduguri International Airport, bringing the total to seven.

Mr Keyamo urged investors to take advantage of opportunities in Nigeria’s aviation sector, including a proposed airport project along the Lekki–Epe corridor.

If completed, the airport rail extension would create a direct rail connection between Lagos’ rail network and its main aviation gateway, further linking road, rail, and air transport in the commercial capital