China, Nigeria: A handover ceremony for three eight-car trainsets has taken place at the CRRC Dalian works.
The event was attended by Lagos State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and representatives of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority. Neither the contract value nor the technical specifications of the rolling stock have been disclosed.
The new DMUs are destined for the second line of the Lagos rail network. The first 26.5 km phase of the line opened in February 2024 and is currently worked by HST sets built between 1975 and 1982, acquired from Britain, alongside 2009-built Talgo VIII trainsets sourced from the United States.
Handover ceremony of CRRC DMUs at its plant in Dalian. Source: Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The project is being delivered by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, which is now building the second phase. Once complete, the line will extend to 37 km in total, with trains running at up to 100 km/h.
Together with the first line, the second forms the Lagos Rail Mass Transit network. The first line has been worked by a fleet of 15 four-car CRRC EMUs since 2023. A further 12 four-car DMUs from the same manufacturer have, since 2024, been operating on the line linking the Nigerian capital Abuja with the airport and surrounding satellite towns.
