Nigeria’s largest city has opened the second line of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system, five months after its first line began taking passengers. 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended the ceremony opening the 26.3km section with eight stations. It will later be extended by a further 11km, to join with the Blue Line which opened in September. 

Work on the line began in 2009 after a contract was agreed with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the Blue Line. CCECC was also contracted for the Red Line, which began construction in 2021. 

Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the opening marked a “monumental leap” for the city - one of the most populous in Africa. 

“Together, we’re not just moving forward’, he said. ‘We’re redefining urban transformation across Africa,” he said. 

The line’s rolling stock currently consists of two Talgo Series 8 trainsets of 14 cars each, pulled by two diesel locomotives from NRE.

The trainsets were originally designed for Amtrak’s Milwaukee to Chicago route and were supplied to the state of Wisconsin. But they were never used and entered storage instead. 

Further rolling stock is reportedly on order from Chinese suppliers including CRCC Dalian, but it is unclear if the 2015 order is still ongoing.