Abuja-Kaduna train service resumes October 1 after derailment – NRC

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced that passenger train operations on the Abuja–Kaduna corridor will resume on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, weeks after service was suspended due to a derailment.

The corporation said the decision followed the completion of safety, technical and operational checks carried out after the August 26 accident.

In a statement signed by its Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, on Saturday, the NRC assured passengers of its commitment to safe and reliable transportation.

“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is pleased to announce the resumption of passenger train services on the Abuja–Kaduna corridor, effective Wednesday, 1st October 2025,” the statement read in part.

The PUNCH reports that a passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna derailed on August 26, leaving several carriages overturned and sparking panic among the 618 people on board. While the NRC had said 20 passengers sustained injuries, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, in its preliminary report, put the figure at 21, blaming infrastructure neglect as a key factor in the incident.

NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, disclosed that all affected coaches and locomotives had been re-railed and moved to workshops for comprehensive technical evaluation.

He also said the corporation had reached out to affected passengers. According to him, out of 583 ticketed passengers, 530 were successfully contacted and 512 had received refunds, while 22 injured passengers had been visited by NRC medical teams.

“As part of our welfare package, the injured passengers will enjoy one free ride per week until December 31, 2025. In addition, all 618 passengers on board the train during the August 26 accident will be entitled to one free ride before the end of the year,” Opeifa added.

The corporation also released an updated timetable ahead of the resumption. The train will depart Abuja’s Idu station at 8:45 a.m., stop at Kubwa at 9:05 a.m., and arrive at Rigassa, Kaduna, at 12:42 p.m. For the return trip, departure from Rigassa is fixed for 2:30 p.m., with a Kubwa stop at 6:02 p.m. and arrival at Idu at 6:23 p.m.

The NRC said Wednesdays would remain dedicated to maintenance, with no commercial operations on the route.

While appreciating passengers for their patience during the suspension, the corporation pledged improved and safer services nationwide.