By Barth Ikiebe
The Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced that the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train service will resume operations next week, ending a one-month suspension caused by damage to the track at Asham.
The service was halted after the August 26 incident, which forced the NRC to suspend operations on the busy corridor.
The corporation said in a statement that repair works and safety checks on the affected section have now been successfully completed.
Chief Public Relations Officer of the NRC, Callistus Unyimadu, said in a statement on Saturday, that the corporation had worked tirelessly to restore both the infrastructure and the rolling stock to the highest safety standards in line with global best practices.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Railway Corporation is pleased to announce that the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train service is set to resume operations next week, following the successful completion of repair and safety checks on the affected section of track at Asham.
“The service was temporarily suspended after the unfortunate incident of August 26, 2025. Since then, the Corporation has worked tirelessly to ensure both the infrastructure and rolling stock are restored to the highest safety standards in line with global best practices.
“As part of our commitment to passenger welfare, the NRC has refunded 512 passengers out of the 583 on board the affected train. Efforts are ongoing to reach and process refunds for the remaining passengers to ensure that no one is left behind.”
Unyimadu added that the NRC valued the patience and understanding of passengers during the suspension, assuring that safety, comfort, and satisfaction remain the corporation’s top priority.
The NRC also acknowledged the support of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, security agencies, the media, and other stakeholders in the recovery process.
The statement noted that further details on the official resumption date and train schedules will be communicated in the coming days.
The derailment occurred along the Kaduna corridor shortly after the train left Abuja at about 11 am, en route to Kaduna.
Following the incident, the NRC suspended train operations on the Abuja-Kaduna route till further notice.
On September 24, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau said that its investigation into the incident revealed that poor maintenance and a faulty track switch were key factors behind the incident.
According to the preliminary findings, several sleepers at the station that had been damaged in a previous incident were only patched instead of being properly repaired.
As a result, the switch had to be manually operated and secured using a point clip, which was later discovered to be broken. This compromised the integrity of the track alignment, leading to the derailment.
The report also noted that personnel of the Nigerian Railway Corporation had received only initial training with no formal refresher courses, raising further concerns about safety standards and preparedness.
