Lagos will boost the capacity of its Red Line rail service with three additional eight-coach trains by the third quarter of 2026, in a move aimed at easing congestion and improving the commuting experience along the busy Oyingbo–Agbado corridor.
The plan was disclosed by the Head of Corporate Communication at the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Kolawole Ojelabi, on Wednesday.
More trains, more capacity
According to LAMATA, the planned acquisition will see three new train sets added to the Red Line fleet, each made up of eight coaches, bringing a total of 24 additional coaches into operation.
The authority explained that the new rolling stock is part of a broader, long-term expansion strategy designed to enhance capacity, comfort, and service reliability on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) network.
“As part of our long-term strategy to enhance capacity, comfort, and service reliability, LAMATA is pleased to announce the expected delivery and operationalisation of additional rolling stock by the third quarter of 2026,” the agency said.
“The new acquisition will comprise three train sets, each with eight coaches — bringing a total of 24 additional coaches to strengthen the existing fleet and improve passenger experience across the Red Line corridor.”
Responding to passenger complaints
The announcement comes against the backdrop of recent complaints from passengers over technical issues, particularly faulty air conditioning systems on some of the trains serving the Oyingbo–Agbado route. Videos and reports shared on social media have shown commuters travelling in uncomfortably hot conditions.
LAMATA acknowledged the challenges and apologised to passengers for the heat and discomfort experienced during affected trips. The agency stated that technical and engineering teams have been deployed to trace and fix the root cause of the cooling system failures.
Restoration works are said to be ongoing, with efforts being intensified to return affected coaches to optimal condition as quickly as possible. The authority reiterated that it is taking proactive steps to minimise technical disruptions and raise the overall quality of service on the Red Line.
Red Line: Backbone of Lagos’ rail ambitions
The Lagos Rail Mass Transit Red Line is one of the flagship projects under the state’s rail master plan, which envisions six light rail corridors criss-crossing the metropolis.
The first phase of the Red Line spans 27 kilometres from Oyingbo in Lagos to Agbado in neighbouring Ogun State. It commenced full, fee-paying passenger operations on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, following its commissioning on February 29, 2024, by President Bola Tinubu.
The initial phase features eight stations strategically located at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo, providing a high-capacity alternative to the notoriously congested road corridors serving these areas.
Construction of the Red Line began on April 15, 2021. After a six-week trial period with invitational passenger services between August 28 and September 27, 2024, full commercial operations kicked off in October of the same year.
A notable feature of the project is its track-sharing arrangement with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). The Red Line shares tracks with the Lagos–Ibadan standard-gauge corridor under a partnership first established during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, allowing Lagos to leverage existing rail infrastructure while expanding urban transit options.
Bigger picture: Building a city-wide rail network
The Red Line is ultimately planned as a 37-kilometre corridor, with the current 27-kilometre stretch representing its first phase. Lagos State authorities project that once the second phase is completed and the line is fully operational, it could run up to 20 daily trips and move as many as 500,000 passengers per day, significantly reducing pressure on the city’s roads.
The Red Line is part of a wider rail buildout. Currently, only the initial phases of the Red and Blue Lines are operational, while work continues on the remaining sections of both routes. The state government has also indicated that construction on the Green Line is expected to commence soon, in line with its phased approach to rail expansion.
In January 2025, the Lagos State Government announced that it was set to receive six additional train sets from China to strengthen operations on both the Blue and Red Lines, following successful factory acceptance tests. These new assets, combined with the 24 additional Red Line coaches expected by 2026, are central to the state’s strategy of scaling up mass transit capacity.
Looking ahead
For now, passengers on the Red Line are contending with teething problems common to new transport systems, from technical glitches to crowding during peak hours. LAMATA’s commitment to expanding the fleet and resolving current issues will be closely watched by commuters who rely on the service daily.
If delivered on schedule and backed by consistent maintenance and operations, the additional trains could help reshape how hundreds of thousands of Lagos residents move across the metropolis—shifting more people from road to rail and bringing the city closer to a modern, integrated transit network.
