The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has granted the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) a permanent operating licence and a long-term Track Access Agreement, a landmark regulatory approval expected to accelerate the expansion of Lagos’ rail network and significantly boost commuter services on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line.
The approval removes a major regulatory hurdle for LAMATA, giving the agency legal authority to operate passenger and freight services along the Red Line corridor between Agbado and Oyingbo while providing a stable framework for future rail expansion.
One of the immediate benefits of the approval is a planned increase in Red Line operations from the current nine daily trips to 24 trips by the fourth quarter of 2026, when additional rolling stock is expected to arrive.
The expanded service is projected to substantially improve passenger capacity and reduce waiting times for thousands of daily commuters.
A key component of the arrangement is the Track Access Agreement, which allows LAMATA to share NRC’s rail infrastructure for as long as it continues operations on the corridor.
Alongside this, the newly issued 15-year operating licence extends beyond the Red Line, covering the Blue Line and every future rail line developed by LAMATA within the licence period.
The approval also streamlines future rail expansion. Rather than undergoing a fresh baseline licensing process for every new corridor, LAMATA will only require a final safety and operational inspection by the Government Inspector of Railways before commencing passenger services.
Speaking during the licence presentation and signing ceremony at the NRC headquarters, Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, described the approval as the culmination of more than two decades of collaboration between both organisations.
He noted that although the progress appears rapid, the project had evolved over many years and across successive administrations.
Opeifa praised LAMATA for becoming the first subnational government in Nigeria to maximise unused operational windows on federal railway infrastructure to improve public transportation, expressing the hope that other states will take the same advantage of the Federal rail infrastructure as Lagos State.
He also stressed the critical role of railway infrastructure in driving economic development, adding that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to expanding transport infrastructure and delivering greater benefits to Nigerians.
Receiving the licences, LAMATA Managing Director, Engr. Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, described the approval as the product of years of rigorous regulatory scrutiny and close collaboration with the NRC.
She commended the corporation for maintaining high professional and safety standards throughout the licensing process, noting that the certification was earned through extensive technical assessments rather than granted automatically.
According to Akinajo, the approval enables LAMATA to maximise every available operational window on the Red Line corridor, significantly increasing service frequency and passenger capacity.
She disclosed that the authority plans to operate 24 daily services on the Red Line by the final quarter of 2026 after taking delivery of additional rolling stock. Each new train will be capable of carrying at least 2,000 passengers per direction, substantially boosting capacity during peak commuting periods.
Engr. Akinajo added that LAMATA already operates 94 daily trips on the Blue Line and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working closely with the NRC to further improve rail services and provide faster, safer and more reliable transportation for millions of Lagos residents.
The permanent operating licence represents one of the most significant regulatory milestones since the launch of Lagos’ modern rail system, providing long-term certainty for the expansion of urban rail services and reinforcing the state’s ambition to build an integrated, high-capacity public transport network.-LAMATA
