The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has informed the general public on the progress made in the management of passenger tracing, the injured, recovering its rolling stock, and restoration of the tracks following the derailment incident involving the Abuja–Kaduna-bound train, reports thegazellenews.com
Thegazellenews.com recalled that on Tuesday, 26 August 2025, the Abuja–Kaduna train service experienced a major derailment involving a locomotive and several coaches between Kubwa and Asham stations.
However as Tuesday, 2 September, 2025, seven days after the incident, the NRC engineers have successfully recovered a locomotive and four coaches (out of two locomotives and eight DMU coaches), which have been railed to Idu Station for assessment using the newly constructed 100-
meter track off the damaged line. Site preparation has commenced for the deployment of heavy equipment to recover the remaining four coaches and an additional locomotive.
Thegazellenews.com that a total of 618 persons were onboard the ill-fated train, comprising 583 passengers, 15 NRC crew members, 1 medical personnel, 8 cleaners, and 11 catering staff. All individuals were safely evacuated.
Unfortunately, while seven were reported as critically injured, passenger tracing conducted by the NRC medical team established that 20 persons sustained various degrees of injury, out of which nine were reported critical.
“The Corporation takes full responsibility for the incident and is actively supporting those affected. To aid affected passengers, the NRC set up an Incident Desk to handle enquiries and provide regular updates through dedicated phone lines: Queen – 0703 645 2228, Lilian – 0703 199 3211, and Abubakar – 0803 659 3212. So far, the Corporation has been able to reach 510 out of the 583 passengers listed on the train manifest,” a statement signed by the NRC Managing Director, Dr Kayode Opeifa, said on Wednesday, 3 September 2025.
Opeifa expressed appreciation to the security agencies deployed to the accident site for their vital role in ensuring a smooth, safe, and disruption-free recovery process.
He also acknowledged the media as a critical partner and extended sincere gratitude for their continued support during this challenging period.
Furthermore, the Management appreciated the visit of the Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Ahmed Alkali, who inspected the site and commended the recovery efforts of the NRC team.
“The NRC wishes to reassure its esteemed passengers and the general public that every necessary measure is being taken to restore full train operations in the shortest possible time. Passenger safety and service reliability remain the Corporation’s topmost prioritise,” the statement concluded.
