The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced that the Abuja–Kaduna passenger train service is scheduled to resume operations next week. This decision follows the completion of extensive repair and safety checks on the rail track section at Asham, where a derailment occurred on August 26, 2025.
Callistus Unyimadu, NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, said in a Saturday statement that the corporation has worked relentlessly to restore both the infrastructure and rolling stock to meet global best safety standards. The resumption date and detailed schedule will be communicated to the public soon.
Since the derailment, the NRC has refunded 512 of the 583 passengers affected, with ongoing efforts to reach and process refunds for the remaining passengers to ensure no one is left behind. The NRC emphasized its commitment to passenger safety, comfort, and satisfaction.
The derailment incident was attributed to poor maintenance and a faulty track switch, according to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). Several damaged sleepers had only been patched, and a critical automatic switch mechanism was found unserviceable, forcing manual operation of a point clip that eventually broke, causing the track misalignment.
The NRC acknowledged gaps in staff training and maintenance readiness, including the lack of refresher courses for personnel and limited availability of spare parts. The agency has pledged to address these issues as the service resumes.
The NRC expressed gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Transportation, security agencies, the media, and other stakeholders for their support during the recovery period.