By Funke Cole
For Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the dream of making Lagos State a model city remains top priority. Little wonder he has been working round the clock to make that dream a reality.
To achieve that lofty height, infrastructure upgrade and expansion is a major fulcrum under the T. H.E. M.E.S+ agenda being implemented to fulfill his mandate.
Of course, after seeing the positive impacts made with the Lagos Mass Rail Transit Project during his first term, which delivered the Blue Line Rail, the governor decided to hit the ground running in his second term by redoubling his efforts with the project based on his personal conviction that intermodal transport is a sine qua non for a mega city like Lagos, rated among top 20 best cities in the world.
Ever forward looking, the governor embarked on a trip to China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation in Dalian, China, where he met with the top management of the company regarding the purchase of additional stocks for the Blue and Red Rail Line projects, thus signaling a significant stride in the advancement of the citys transportation infrastructure.
An elated Governor Sanwo-Olu made the announcement via his official X account recently, revealing that the trains were procured from the Railway Rolling Stock Corporation in Dalian, China.
I visited the headquarters of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation in Dalian, China to finalise discussions with the companys top management regarding the purchase of additional rolling stock for the Blue and Red Rail Line Projects, he stated.
During the meeting, I expressed our commitment to reducing traffic congestion in line with our developmental agenda and emphasized our focus on deploying modern technology in infrastructural development.
While highlighting the significance of cooperation in transmitting information and skills, the governor underscored the importance of the partnership in enhancing the states transportation network.
According to him, joint maintenance agreements, as well as knowledge and skills transfer have been finalised with the team, which boast of over 100 years of manufacturing experience, making them one of the foremost and well-known train manufacturers in the world.
“We are genuinely excited about this development, as Lagos anticipates and deserves excellence, connectivity, and modern technology in infrastructural development. I express my gratitude to the team for their commitment to this partnership, and we eagerly anticipate further collaborations, he further said.
With the timeline of delivery of the Red Line project set for completion in Q1 2024, it is almost certain that there will be growth of businesses and sundry economic activities through this new welcome addition.
For Lagosians, the days of struggling to catch a bus are almost gone as there would be more trains plying the different corridors to take them to all the destinations of their choice.
Whatever mode of transportation they settle for, it surely will be as seamlessly simple as A-B-C!
Cole a public commentator writes from Lagos