The city of Lagos now has the fastest trains in Africa

The 330km/h trains were acquired by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu from Talgo Group, a Madrid-based manufacturer of high-speed passenger trains.
The West African country’s high-speed rail network is about to get bigger, faster and cheaper, following the announcement of the Red Line metro project.
When completed, the Red Line rail network will have 11 stations and will be the first operational metro system in West Africa.

The city of Lagos now has the fastest trains in Africa - with a top speed of 330km/h - which it recently acquired as part of its plans to launch the Red Line metro project, a 37-kilometre intracity railway system.

The 330km/h trains were acquired by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, from Talgo Group, a Madrid-based manufacturer of high-speed passenger trains.

The 330-KPH trains were sold to the state by Talgo Group, a Madrid-based manufacturer of high-speed passenger trains. PHOTO: TWITTER/ BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU

The ‘Red Line’ rail is expected to commence commercial operations between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. When completed, the rail network will have 11 stations and will also become the first operational metro system in West Africa designed to convey at least 500,000 passengers daily in the first phase of operation.

“The 37km Red Line on completion will traverse eight stations and move passengers from Agbado to Oyingbo,” Governor Banajide Sanwo-Olu said on Wednesday.

“We are ramping up completion of the ancillary infrastructure like the train stations.”

The ‘Red Line’ rail is expected to commence commercial operations between the last quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. PHOTO: TWITTER/ BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU

On Tuesday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu completed the acquisition deal of the trains at a public event inside the Milwaukee facilities of Spanish train manufacturer Talgo Incorporated in the United States.

Commenting on the acquisition, Sanwo-Olu said the move was in line with his administration’s commitment to Traffic Management and Transportation of the THEMES developmental agenda.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu completed the acquisition deal of the trains at a public event inside the Milwaukee facilities of Spanish train manufacturer Talgo Incorporated in the United States. PHOTO: TWITTER/ BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU

“Part of what we have done in the last two and half years is to have what we call Integrated Urban Mass transportation system, where we will be using road infrastructure, waterway infrastructure and rail infrastructure so that we can move over 20 million Lagosians within and around the city,” he said.

“We hope that this (purchase of the trains) will be the beginning of a mutually beneficial business relationship. Providing a source of livelihood for our citizens is all about providing jobs for our people, and that is what we are doing. It is about ensuring that we can build our economy; people can move from one location to another, and businesses can grow.