On 22 October 2026, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) announced that three additional stations on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line — FESTAC, Alakija and Trade Fair — are scheduled to open by the end of February 2027, extending service beyond the present terminus at Mile 2. The announcement was made by Abimbola Akinajo, LAMATA managing director, at the 2026 Media Parley hosted by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation and published by LAMATA on 22 October 2026. When the three stations open the number of stations in service will rise from five to eight.
According to LAMATA’s published update and reporting by Railway Supply on 25 October 2026, the three stations form part of the Blue Line second phase, an approximately 14-kilometre section from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko. LAMATA said the first phase, a 13-kilometre section between Marina and Mile 2, opened to passengers on 4 September 2023 and has carried more than nine million passengers on over 70,000 trips since opening. Service patterns cited by LAMATA include the original 12 trips a day at launch and a timetable in force since 15 June 2026 of 94 trips per day Monday–Saturday and 24 trips on Sundays, with trains every 10 minutes at peak times and operational reliability of about 99.5%. LAMATA did not disclose opening dates for other stations on the section to Okokomaiko or commercial contract details.
Lead
On 22 October 2026, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) published an announcement, reported by Railway Supply on 25 October 2026, that three new stations on the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line — FESTAC, Alakija and Trade Fair — are due to open by the end of February 2027. The announcement was presented by Abimbola Akinajo, managing director of LAMATA, at the 2026 Media Parley hosted by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation. Opening the three stations will extend passenger service beyond the current Mile 2 terminus and increase the number of stations in service from five to eight.
Verified facts
- Announcement date and venue: LAMATA published the announcement on 22 October 2026; Abimbola Akinajo set out the plan at the 2026 Media Parley hosted by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation. The Railway Supply report appeared on 25 October 2026.
- Stations named: FESTAC, Alakija and Trade Fair are identified as the first Blue Line stations beyond Mile 2.
- Service-extension timing: LAMATA said the three stations are due to open by the end of February 2027 (described as opening in the first quarter of 2027 in Akinajo’s statements).
- Station counts: Trains currently stop at five stations (Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba and Mile 2); the count will rise to eight when the three stations open.
- Line sections and distances: The Blue Line second phase is described as a section of about 14 kilometres from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko; the first phase is 13 kilometres between Marina and Mile 2.
- Operational performance and service levels: Since opening to passengers on 4 September 2023, the Marina–Mile 2 section has carried more than nine million passengers on over 70,000 trips (LAMATA statement, September 2026). Service launched with 12 trips a day; under the timetable in force since 15 June 2026 trains make 94 trips a day Monday–Saturday and 24 trips on Sundays, with a train every 10 minutes at peak times and operational reliability of about 99.5%.
- Unstated items: LAMATA has not given opening dates for other stations on the section to Okokomaiko. Not publicly disclosed: project costs, contractors, suppliers, financing arrangements, and exact construction completion metrics for the remaining route to Okokomaiko.
Organizations and responsibilities
- Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA): Identified as the authority publishing the October 22, 2026 announcement and the organisation led by managing director Abimbola Akinajo who set out the plan at the Media Parley. LAMATA provided the passenger and service statistics cited (September 2026 data and timetable changes to 15 June 2026).
- Lagos State Ministry of Transportation: Hosted the 2026 Media Parley where the LAMATA update was presented.
- Railway Supply: Secondary media source reporting the LAMATA announcement on 25 October 2026.
- Other project participants, contractors, suppliers, and financiers: Not publicly disclosed in the cited source.
Operational and commercial context
- Reported operational implications: According to Akinajo and LAMATA’s announcement, opening FESTAC, Alakija and Trade Fair in the first quarter of 2027 is intended to bring trains closer to more Lagos residents, especially travellers along the FESTAC–Alakija–Trade Fair corridor; LAMATA expects the added stations to improve connectivity, widen access to mass transit and give more residents an option other than the roads. These statements are presented as LAMATA’s expectations.
- Network context: The three stations are on the Blue Line second phase (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, about 14 km). The first phase (Marina to Mile 2, 13 km) opened on 4 September 2023. LAMATA’s January 2025 projection and September 2026 update referenced earlier projections that the second-phase construction would finish within the first quarter of 2027 and that the line would reach Okokomaiko by 2027; the October 2026 announcement gave no date for the rest of the route to Okokomaiko.
- Integrated transport items: Akinajo said four Quality Bus Corridors are close to completion and that construction of interchange hubs at Marina and Mile 2 has progressed considerably; LAMATA describes the rail, bus and interchange projects as parts of an integrated public transport network for Lagos State.
- Commercial detail and risks: The cited source does not disclose commercial terms, contractor identities, supplier names, procurement status or financing arrangements. Not publicly disclosed: detailed completion milestones for the remainder of the second phase beyond the three named stations, and any ridership revenue projections or fare changes associated with the extension.
Sources
https://www.railway.supply/lagos-blue-line-to-open-first-stations-beyond-mile-2-by-february-2027/ — Railway Supply
Disclosure
This RailZoom Intelligence Brief is an original synthesis based on the cited public source. Details not confirmed by a first-party announcement are identified as reported information. For overseas project development or industry intelligence cooperation, contact RailZoom.
