The Board and Management of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has suspended services along Abuja-Kaduna route following the derailment of train on Friday, in Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It was gathered that the train was a few minutes from its destination, Kubwa, when the incident happened at about 03:20 pm.
A statement by the NRC stated that: “The Board and Management of Nigerian Railway Corporation regrets to inform the general public, particularly our passengers of AK3 and KA4 of today 27th January 2023, that the disruption experienced on our Abuja Kaduna Train Service was a result of the derailment of KA4 at Kubwa station. There was no casualty recorded,” NRC’s Director of Operations, Niyi Ali, said.
“We sincerely apologise to passengers whose planned trips were affected by this incident,” he stated.
It also announced suspension of operations along the route, until further notice.
“The NRC rescue team has mobilsed to the site to re-rail the rolling stock and repair the track. Consequently, the Abuja Kaduna Train Service is temporarily suspended.
“While assuring early recommencement of the service, all inconveniences to our esteemed passengers are highly regretted.
“Additional operational measures are being introduced nationwide to ensure safe train operations,” he stated.
Although no injuries or casualties were reported, the passengers were stranded and their schedules of movement for the weekend distrupted.
The incident came in the wake of a train derailment along the Warri-Itakpe route that left 148 passengers and 30 crew members stranded in the thick forest in Kogi State.
They were, however, successfully evacuated to a safe place before they were conveyed to their destinations.
The two incidents occured not too long after NRC restored Abuja-Kaduna train services after terrorists derailed a Kaduna bound train close to its destination at Rigassa, kidnapping some passengers, most of who spent months in the Bush before the conditions set by the terrorists was met.
Government had promised water-tight rail services, but the Itakpe and Kubwa derailments seem to have put to paid the assurances, making it seem as if Fifth columnists within the system are conniving with criminals to create insecurity on that sector of the transportation industry.
