NRC Grants LAMATA Permanent Rail Operating Licence

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has granted the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) a permanent operating licence alongside a long-term Track Access Agreement, a development expected to significantly expand rail operations and boost commuter services on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line.

The approval, announced by LAMATA via its X handle, on Tuesday, June 30, removes key regulatory constraints and formally authorises the agency to operate passenger and freight services along the Red Line corridor between Agbado and Oyingbo, while also setting a framework for future rail expansion in Lagos State.

According to LAMATA, the arrangement will allow for a major increase in train operations from the current nine daily trips to 24 trips by the fourth quarter of 2026, when additional rolling stock is expected to be deployed. The expansion is projected to ease congestion, reduce waiting times and improve commuter experience across the network.

The Track Access Agreement also permits LAMATA to share NRC rail infrastructure for as long as operations continue on the corridor. The new 15-year licence further extends coverage beyond the Red Line to include the Blue Line and all future rail projects developed by the agency within the validity period.

LAMATA said the approval simplifies the regulatory process for future rail expansion, removing the need for fresh baseline licensing for every new corridor. Instead, only a final safety and operational inspection by the Government Inspector of Railways will be required before services commence.

At the signing and presentation ceremony held at NRC headquarters, the Managing Director of the corporation, Kayode Opeifa, described the development as the outcome of over two decades of collaboration between both institutions.

He noted that although progress appeared rapid in recent years, the rail project had evolved through successive administrations, stressing that Lagos had made effective use of federal rail infrastructure to improve public transportation.

“Although the progress appears rapid, the project had evolved over many years and across successive administrations,” Opeifa said.

He commended LAMATA for becoming the first subnational entity in Nigeria to fully utilise available operational space on federal rail infrastructure, adding that other states should follow Lagos’ example in improving public transport systems.

Opeifa also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to expanding transport infrastructure and delivering improved mobility for Nigerians.

Receiving the licence, LAMATA Managing Director, Abimbola Akinajo, said the approval followed years of rigorous regulatory evaluation and close cooperation with the NRC.

She said the certification was not automatic but earned through detailed technical assessments and compliance with strict safety and operational standards.

“The certification was earned through extensive technical assessments rather than granted automatically,” Akinajo said.

According to her, the new licence will allow LAMATA to fully optimise operations on the Red Line corridor and significantly increase passenger capacity once additional rolling stock is delivered.

She disclosed that by the fourth quarter of 2026, the agency plans to operate 24 daily Red Line trips, with each train expected to carry at least 2,000 passengers per direction during peak periods.

Akinajo also noted that LAMATA currently operates 94 daily trips on the Blue Line and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with the NRC to enhance rail services and deliver safer, faster and more reliable transportation across Lagos.