- admits cable spark as source of fire
- • says operations to resume Sunday morning
By Demilade Adeniyi
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has temporarily suspended train services on its Blue Line Mass Transit Train Service (MTTS), which is electric propelled.
Confirming this in a telephone chat, LAMATA’s Communications Consultant said the suspension of activity was as a result of a spark, which induced fire on its flagship Blue line metro, which is electric powered.
The spark occured around the old NEPA Station, around Apongbon, on Lagos Island, yesterday, causing serious anxiety among Lagosians as it disrupted passenger operations of the Blue Line.
Ojelabi, said the fire which had since been put off, did not affect the train.
He said LAMATA’s engineers are already working on the fault lines to discover what caused the spark and to repair the damage caused to the cable.
According to Ojelabi, following the spark, the system isolated the section for investigators and engineers from the Independent Power Plant powering the train to trace the source of the fire.
“The Closed-Circuit camera along the section promptly alerted emergency staff who triggered the emergency response process.
“No passengers on the train and workers were in danger following the fire incident,” Ojelabi stated.
He said engineers are working to replace the burnt cables, adding that train operation will resume Sunday morning.
“LAMATA is committed to the operation of the Blue Line, the first rail system to be powered by electricity in West Africa,” he added.