LagosMove

By Sylvia Johnson, LagosMove Senior Editor
Last updated: 12 November 2026

The full Marina to Mile 2 trip is reported at ₦750 at peak times and about ₦562 inside the off-peak window. Budget with ₦750, then confirm the amount at the gate before you load a card.

That price comes from a fare table reproduced in a 2025 report, not from a tariff page on LAMATA’s own website. The operator’s live timetable states the stations, departure times, and peak headways. It does not publish a price list. So the times below come from LAMATA directly, while the fares are reported figures you should still check.

This guide covers the route fares, the five stations in service, the current timetable, the off-peak window, Cowry Card payment, and the checks worth making before a trip you cannot afford to miss.

Key Takeaways

• The reported full-route fare is ₦750 at peak and about ₦562 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Five stations carry passengers today: Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba, and Mile 2.
• The live timetable lists a first departure from Marina at 05:30 and a last one at 21:50, Monday to Saturday.
• The Cowry Card is the stated payment method, and cash is reported as not accepted.
• Three stations beyond Mile 2 are targeted for the end of February 2027. That is a plan, not an open service.

What the Blue Line Fare Is Reported to Cost

Fares are set by the station pair, not by the number of stops you count. The figures below come from a fare table reproduced in the 2025 report Moving Lagos: The Blue Line and the Future of Mass Transit. Treat them as reported examples, not a current official tariff sheet.

Here are five of those journeys.

Two patterns stand out. The full corridor costs the most, and every shorter trip costs less. A single headline price for the whole line therefore overstates what many passengers pay.

The off-peak column is about 75% of the peak column on every row. ₦750 becomes ₦562.50, listed as ₦562. ₦200 becomes ₦150. That consistent ratio suggests one discount rule is being applied throughout. It still does not prove these are this week’s prices.

Check the Fare for Both Legs

Give staff your departure station and your destination together. Asking “how much is the train” gives you a number you cannot budget with.

Price the return leg separately. A morning trip inside the peak band and an afternoon return inside the discount window are two different fares.

If your journey is not listed, ask rather than multiplying by stops. Distance sets the price, and the table above does not cover every pair of stations.

The Off-Peak Window: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

LAMATA’s managing director announced a 25% discount for travel inside an off-peak period set at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, as reported by BusinessDay. The 2025 fare table uses the same window, which makes the timing the best supported part of the discount.

The arithmetic agrees as well. ₦750 less 25% is ₦562.50.

Ask How the Boundary Is Applied

Boarding at 9:55 a.m. or 3:58 p.m. puts you near a change of band. Ask how the fare is applied before you pay, and keep the receipt or card record until you have seen the deduction.

Don’t assume the discount covers every journey or that it will still run next year. Discounts are a policy decision and can be revised or withdrawn.

The Five Stations in Service Now

Passenger service runs on Phase 1, the Marina to Mile 2 corridor, commonly described as about 13 kilometres. In travel order, the stations are Marina, National Theatre, Iganmu, Alaba, and Mile 2.

Marina sits on Lagos Island and serves the surrounding business district. Mile 2 is the western end of the operating route. The three stops between them give you short-hop options that the full-corridor fare does not reflect.

When you check LAMATA’s train service information, separate the whole Blue Line project from the section carrying passengers. Planned stations are not boarding points.

What Phase 2 Changes, and When

Three stations beyond Mile 2 are targeted for passenger service by the end of February 2027: FESTAC, Alakija, and Trade Fair. In November 2026 the governor named those three as the first to open, and Nairametrics reported the same target.

That is a target, not a confirmed opening. Construction milestones, such as the first precast T-beam being installed, show progress on the elevated structures. They don’t mean a station is ready for passengers.

When those three open, the count rises from five stations to eight, and the line still stops short of Okokomaiko. Six stations are planned on the roughly 14 km extension: FESTAC, Alakija, Trade Fair, Volkswagen, LASU, and Okokomaiko. No opening date has been reported for the last three.

If your destination is in FESTAC, read where FESTAC Town sits in Lagos and plan a road connection until the station opens.

Train Times: First, Last, and How Often

LAMATA publishes a per-station timetable rather than one headline interval. On the schedule page I checked on 12 November 2026, the terminal departures were:

Those are terminal times, not the times at Iganmu or Alaba. Read the row for your boarding station and your direction.

Why the Trip Count You Read Elsewhere Differs

The service has been expanded several times, and older counts are still circulating. A 2025 LAMATA announcement, reported by BusinessDay, put the figure at 72 trips a day, with a train every 18 minutes and an 18-minute journey from Marina to Mile 2.

A September 2026 timetable report puts the figure at 102 trips a day, Monday to Saturday. Pages still saying 72 or 92 are describing an earlier schedule. Work from the live timetable and treat every secondary count as history.

The Peak Headway and the Journey Time

Peak headways were listed at 8 to 12 minutes. That doesn’t match the 18-minute interval from the 2025 announcement, which is another reason to read the current page instead of a reposted screenshot.

Marina to Mile 2 is reported at about 18 minutes. The timetable gives per-station times if you need an arrival estimate.

For a shift, a flight, or an interview, take an earlier departure than you need. Allow time to enter the station and reach the platform.

Sunday and Public Holidays

The live timetable page covers Monday to Saturday. Sunday service has been described separately at 24 trips at roughly 30-minute intervals.

Confirm the day and any holiday arrangement before you travel. A Monday-to-Saturday timetable is not evidence of a Sunday train.

Paying With a Cowry Card

The Cowry Card is the stated payment method for the Blue Line, and cash is reported as not accepted. Sort the card before you reach the gate, not at the gate.

Card prices are reported inconsistently. One 2026 guide says ₦500, and other 2026 reports give ₦600 to ₦700. Ask at the station what the card costs today and what balance your trip needs, rather than trusting a price from a blog.

Don’t assume a bank card, a transfer, or a QR code will work as a substitute. Ask about top-up options when you buy the card.

Keep the card price separate from the fare. Card cost, plus fare, plus the bus or taxi at either end, is the figure to plan with.

Plan Door to Door, Not Station to Station

The train covers the middle of your journey. You still need to reach Marina or Mile 2, and you still need to cover the distance from the station to your actual address.

Check the exact address of your workplace, market, hotel, or appointment. An area name doesn’t tell you how far the building sits from the station.

Compare walking, a bus, a keke, and a ride-hailing trip at both ends. Luggage, rain, and the time of day change which option makes sense.

Riders quoted in a Guardian report praised the rail service and criticised bus gaps and peak-hour crowding. Leave a buffer on the connecting leg rather than assuming a bus is waiting.

Our guide to getting around Lagos compares those options, and the Lagos bus fare list helps you price the road leg. For other rail and bus termini, see the Lagos terminus and train guide, and the wider Lagos public transport guide for ticketing.

Checks to Make Before You Leave

• Confirm the fare for your exact station pair at the gate, not from a blog post.
• Check the departure time for your boarding station and direction, not just the terminal.
• Confirm the day. The live timetable runs Monday to Saturday.
• Buy or top up a Cowry Card before you join the platform queue.
• Ask whether cash is accepted on the date you travel.
• Price the connection at each end and add spare time for it.
• Allow 10 to 15 minutes to enter the station and reach the platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Lagos Blue Line from Marina to Mile 2?

The reported fare is ₦750 at peak and about ₦562 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. LAMATA’s timetable page does not publish a price list, so confirm the amount at the gate.

How long is the journey from Marina to Mile 2?

About 18 minutes, as reported. The timetable gives per-station times if you need a closer estimate.

Does the Blue Line run on Sunday?

The live timetable covers Monday to Saturday. Sunday service has been reported separately at 24 trips at roughly 30-minute intervals, so confirm before you rely on it.

Can I pay cash on the Blue Line?

The Cowry Card is the stated method, and cash is reported as not accepted. Ask at the station about current payment and top-up options.

Is the FESTAC Blue Line station open?

No. FESTAC, Alakija, and Trade Fair are targeted for passenger service by the end of February 2027. Until then, the passenger line ends at Mile 2.

Sources and How This Was Checked

Fares and service details were checked on 12 November 2026. Where sources disagree, this page says so rather than choosing the more flattering number.

• LAMATA Blue Line train schedule
• LAMATA train services
• BusinessDay on 72 trips a day and the 25% off-peak discount
• BusinessDay on the three Phase 2 stations
• Nairametrics on the February 2027 target
• Railway Supply on the Phase 2 opening plan
• Nairametrics on 8 million passengers and the first T-beam
• The Guardian on rider experience after three years

Prices and timetables change. Confirm at the station for the day you travel.