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The Lagos State Government has received three new trains comprising 24 coaches for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line, in a move expected to increase the service’s operational capacity.
The development was disclosed by Jubril Gawat, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a post on his official X account on Tuesday.
The additional trains are expected to support more frequent services and increase passenger capacity along the Oyingbo (Ebute Metta) to Agbado corridor.
However, they are yet to be officially unveiled or deployed for passenger operations.
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Lagos receives 24 new Red Line coaches
Gawat said the trains were procured with the support of the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu, highlighting cooperation between the federal and state governments in delivering transportation infrastructure.
His post announced the commencement of the offloading process:
- “The Lagos State Government under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has commenced the offloading of three new train sets, comprising 24 coaches, for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line,” the post read in part.
Gawat said the additional train sets would boost the operational capacity of the Red Line, which currently runs between Oyingbo (Ebute Metta) and Agbado. They are expected to enable more trips and accommodate additional passengers along the corridor.
The arrival marks a further step in the state’s plan to strengthen the Red Line fleet and improve rail services for commuters.
New Red Line trains arrive after Q3 target
The arrival follows an earlier announcement by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) in February 2026 that it planned to add three eight-coach train sets, comprising 24 coaches, to the Red Line fleet by the third quarter of the year.
LAMATA’s Head of Corporate Communication, Kolawole Ojelabi, said the additional trains would strengthen the existing fleet, improve service reliability and enhance passenger comfort along the Oyingbo–Agbado corridor.
The trains did not arrive within the projected third-quarter timeline, with the state government confirming their arrival and beginning the offloading process in November 2026.
The additional rolling stock was also expected to form part of the authority’s longer-term strategy to improve capacity and service delivery.
New trains face Red Line capacity test
The arrival comes amid concerns about the Red Line’s operational capacity and service frequency. Transport researcher Tonami Playman identified these as major constraints on the railway’s potential impact on traffic congestion in Lagos.
In an exclusive interview with Nairametrics weeks before the latest train announcement, Playman said the Red Line was operating at a frequency of just five trains daily, which he considered inadequate for a metropolitan rail service expected to attract significant commuter traffic.
- He said the service needed to operate at a minimum of 10–12 trains per hour to make a meaningful difference to urban mobility.
- He also argued that the limited reach of the existing rail network and low service frequency had prevented the Blue and Red Lines from significantly reducing pressure on Lagos roads.
- Passenger figures shared during the same interview by Afolabi Olamide, co-founder and CEO of Touch and Pay Technologies (TAP), which operates the Cowry fare payment platform, showed that regulated buses recorded more than 5 million monthly passenger trips.
The figures compare with approximately 500,000 monthly passenger trips on the Blue Line and 100,000 on the Red Line. The additional trains are expected to increase the Red Line’s capacity, although their eventual impact will depend on how they are deployed and the frequency of services.
