LAGOS, Nigeria — The commuter rail service in Lagos using Talgo trainsets built for but never used by the state of Wisconsin has been suspended indefinitely because of mechanical issues, the Nigerian newspaper The Nation reports.
The trains experienced breakdowns last Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 2-3, the newspaper reports, after which the operator posted a message on social media saying “the train will not be operating tomorrow, and until further notice.”
The 27-kilometer (16.7-mile) Red Line Mass Transit service began operation on Oct. 15, beginning with two trains and two during the evening rush, with the intent to expand operations. When complete, it has been projected to carry more than a million passengers daily.
The Nigerian government purchased two 14-car Talgo Series 8 trainsets ordered in 2009 for a planned expansion of Amtrak’s Hiawatha route to Madison, Wis., a project subsequently killed by Gov. Scott Walker. Never operated, and long stored at Amtrak’s Beech Grove Heavy Maintenance Facility, they were eventually sold in 2022 [see “Never-used Talgo trainsets find buyer …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 18, 2022].
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