The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it has made substantial progress in its recovery, repair, and safety efforts on its facilities after the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment at Asham a few weeks ago.
The corporation added that its team of engineers has successfully re-railed and recovered all coaches and locomotives involved in the incident, disclosing that these assets have since been moved to designated workshops for comprehensive assessment and further technical work.
“Our team of engineers has successfully repaired the main line to a level that allows us to safely resume operations. While train services will recommence, work on the secondary track will continue simultaneously. During this period, the second line will remain out of use until all necessary repairs are fully completed,” Kayode Okpeifa, the corporation’s managing director, revealed.
Okpeifa, who spoke in statement he personally made available to BusinessDay, revealed further that the engineers have now commenced a comprehensive safety and infrastructure assessment to ensure that all aspects of the corridor meet the highest standards of safety, durability, and reliability before operations resume, pointing out that this phase includes a thorough evaluation of the repaired section and other critical infrastructure along the route.
He emphasised that the resumption of operations will only take place after all necessary technical inspections, tests, and certifications are concluded. “Safety remains our top priority,” he stated, stressing the corporation’s determination to restore public confidence in rail services.
“On passenger welfare, we confirm that out of the 618 passengers on board the affected train, 22 sustained injuries and are at various stages of recovery. We have successfully contacted 512 passengers, while 71 are yet to be reached due to various reasons ranging from not responding, wrong numbers, and unavailability.
We have also completed an in-house investigation into the incident, with management accepting all recommendations of the internal investigation team. While awaiting the outcome of the committee set up by the Minister of Transportation, Said Alkali, as well as the findings of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), we wish to state clearly that our investigation points to human error — excessive speeding and misapplication of the emergency braking system,” he noted.
The managing director said that an official announcement on the resumption of train services on the corridor will be made very soon, adding that the corporation acknowledges the inconvenience caused, expresses deep appreciation to its passengers and the general public for their patience, support, and understanding throughout the recovery process.
He also extended gratitude to media houses for their role in providing timely and accurate updates, as well as to the security agencies for their support in ensuring the safety of recovery operations and the protection of lives and property.
“To the security agencies, we are most appreciative of the role played during the emergency management as well as during the recovery period. We also acknowledge the support and understanding received from the office of the Minister of Transportation and his team,” he said.
“We are proud of the professionalism exhibited by our engineering and technical team, who have demonstrated extraordinary competence,” he added, pledging the corporation’s unwavering commitment, the NRC pledge to continue delivering safe, efficient, and dependable rail transport services, in line with Nigeria’s broader transportation modernisation agenda.
