The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed the recovery of a locomotive and one of the passenger coaches involved in Tuesday’s Abuja–Kaduna train derailment, even as a formal investigation into the incident has commenced.
Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the NRC, returned to the site of the accident at Asham, Kaduna State, on Wednesday, to personally supervise the ongoing recovery operations alongside NRC engineers.
According to MD, during the exercise, the recovery team successfully retrieved one of the derailed passenger coaches in addition to the locomotive earlier salvaged on the day of the incident.
Opeifa commended the engineers for their professionalism, resilience, and swift response, while also appreciating the security agencies deployed to the site for ensuring that recovery activities were carried out safely and without disruption.
He further acknowledged the media for what he described as their vital role in disseminating credible and factual information, stressing that transparency remains key to keeping Nigerians informed about progress being made.
Read also: NRC suspends train operations on Abuja–Kaduna route
Providing an update on passenger welfare, the NRC disclosed that a total of 618 persons, including 583 passengers, 15 NRC crew members, one medical personnel, eight cleaners, and 11 catering staff, were successfully evacuated from the affected train.
Seven passengers sustained varying degrees of injury and were immediately taken to hospital facilities by medical teams mobilised to the scene.
The remaining passengers were conveyed back safely to Idu and Kubwa stations in Abuja aboard a rescue train dispatched for the operation. In line with its commitment to passenger welfare, NRC has directed its third-party ticketing company to issue immediate refunds to all passengers who boarded the service.
Meanwhile, all Abuja–Kaduna Train Services (AKTS) remain suspended pending full recovery of the site, clearance of the tracks, and an official announcement on the resumption of operations.
The NRC reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and assured the public that every necessary measure is being taken to restore services in the shortest possible time.
