NRC suspends services as Abuja-Kaduna train derails at Kubwa

Olaseinde Gbenga, Abuja

The Nigerian Railway Commission (NRC) has suspended the train service along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, following the derailment of a train at Kubwa in Abuja on Friday.

The Abuja-bound train derailed with no casualty or fatality recorded.

An official of the NRC at the Kubwa train station who pleaded anonymity disclosed this to Newsmen that the incident occurred at about 3:15pm which coincided with the arrival of the afternoon train.

According to him, the number of passengers and crew members on board could not be ascertained.

Also, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Engr. Fidet Okhiria also confirmed the incident to the press in a brief telephone chat.

This incident is coming barely a week after train service along the Warri-Itakpe corridor was also suspended due to derailment.

Explaining how the incident occurred, he said: “The derailment occurred close to the station. There were no casualties and all of them (passengers) were successfully disembarked.

“At the moment when the train approached a point where it was supposed to take a turn, it derailed from the rail line.”

He, however, said the reasons for the derailment were unknown at the moment.

He said: “It is true that the train derailed today (Friday) but the good news is that no life was lost.”

On the suspension of operations, he said: “Currently trains cannot pass because of the derailment. So, train service has been suspended for now but if our men can work overnight, then we might resume service tomorrow.”

Recall that the train service along the corridor resumed operation on the 5th of December after it was suspended for over eight months due to an attack on the tracks on March 28th, 2022.

The attack which led to the death of eight people, saw several people injured and over 60 kidnapped.

Train operations resumed in December after those who were kidnapped regained freedom.