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Claim: A Facebook user recently claimed Nigeria has the fastest train in Africa.
Verdict: True! Lagos Red Line Mass Transit rail system boasts trains with a speed limit of 330km/h, which is the fastest in Africa.
Full Text
Globally, infrastructural development remains a key indicator of progress. Therefore, it is no surprise that serious-minded governments allocate a significant portion of their budgets to infrastructure.
Increased investment in transport infrastructure, particularly in urban areas, is believed to have a positive impact on national economies.
In Africa, the infrastructure gap across countries remains a major topic of discussion in nation-building, particularly among citizens and stakeholders.
Recently, a Facebook blog, Africa View Facts, claimed Nigeria has the fastest trains in Africa.
“Nigeria has the fastest train in Africa, the Red Line Rail. The service is expanding to five trips in the morning hours and four evening trips daily, up from two trips in the morning. The high-speed train runs at 330 km/h,” the post caption reads.
This elicited mixed reactions from other users who predominantly doubted the authenticity of the information.
A user, Atunde Akanbi Wasiu, replied, “Go to South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, etc. You will see better and faster trains.”
Another user, Zaidu Aliyu, wrote, “Where is the train? Mr Man, we don’t even have a train in Nigeria.”
Other categories of users, however, applauded the country for such a great feat, hoping that this would extend to other parts of the country.
DUBAWA observed this exchange and decided to set the records straight.
Verification
The Lagos Red Line Mass Transit rail system (LRMT) was commissioned by President Bola Tinubu on Feb 29, 2024, about three years after the construction started.
Lagos governor Babajide Sanwoolu said over 500,000 passengers would be conveyed daily during the first phase of the project, which stretches 27km from Agbado to Oyingbo, with eight stops at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.
For the LRMT, the government purchased two Talgo Series 8 train sets, each with a speed limit of 330kmph.
The trains were originally built for a high-speed rail line to connect Madison and Milwaukee in the United States of America.
Built with the latest technology, it adorns a lightweight aluminium body and compression collision requirements of the Federal Railroad Administration for unrestricted service. The Talgo Series 8 train also provides special features for wheelchair-bound passengers (ADA compliant).
Other distinct features include automatically activated exterior and interior interconnecting doors, electrical outlets at all seats for charging laptop computers or other electrical appliances, internet availability, a newspaper and magazine rack for passengers, and one restroom in every second car, with eco-friendly vacuum toilets.
Before that, the Al-Boraq rail line in Morocco had the fastest trains capable of reaching speeds up to 320 kph. The rail line was opened in Nov 2018, linking the port city of Tangier with Casablanca. It is worth noting that during pre-service testing on the Al Boraq line, trains peaked at 357 km/hr.
However, plans are underway for Alstom to deliver twelve high-speed trains capable of 357kph. These are targeted towards the 2030 World Cup, and the company is scheduled to start delivering the trains in 2027.
Meanwhile, the Lagos state government inaugurated the first phase of the 27-kilometre Blue Line rail project, which commenced commercial operations in 2023 with trains running at a speed limit of 80km/hour.
Recently, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal government to start work on the 68-kilometre Green Line rail project, which he said will boost the state’s transportation system.
Other high-speed trains exist in other parts of the world, with the fastest being in China, with a maximum speed of 460kph. The Shanghai Maglev is said to be the only link in the world currently carrying passengers using magnetic levitation (Maglev) rather than conventional steel wheels on steel rails.
Conclusion
The claim that Nigeria has the fastest train in Africa is true. The trains on the Lagos Red Line Mass Transit rail system have a speed capacity of 330km/h, the highest limit in Africa as of the time of filing the report.
