By John Umeh
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that passenger train operations on the Abuja–Kaduna corridor will resume this week after weeks of suspension for emergency repairs and safety checks.
In a statement issued on Saturday, September 26, NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, disclosed that while the exact timetable will be announced shortly, both the tracks and rolling stock have been fully restored to meet international safety standards.
The Abuja–Kaduna service was halted following a derailment on August 26, 2025. According to the NRC, intensive work has been carried out since then to repair the damaged section near Asham and to strengthen maintenance protocols.
As part of its passenger-care measures, the corporation revealed it has refunded fares to 512 of the 583 passengers on the ill-fated train, with payments for the remaining passengers already underway.
“The NRC deeply appreciates the patience and support of our valued customers and stakeholders. Safety, comfort, and reliability will remain the pillars of our operations as we restart services,” the statement read.
The August derailment—occurring just minutes after departure from Abuja—was the second at the same station in a little over a year and left four passengers seriously injured. Preliminary findings by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) cited poor track maintenance, a defective switch mechanism, and inadequate staff retraining as major contributors to the crash.
NRC Managing Director Kayode Opeifa has since taken responsibility for the incident, pledging that lessons learned will guide operations going forward. The corporation says the line will now run under stricter monitoring, upgraded track components, and tighter safety checks to ensure incidents of this nature are not repeated.
With these measures in place, the Abuja–Kaduna route—considered a lifeline for thousands of commuters—will return to service this week, offering renewed assurance of passenger safety and reliability.
