The Nigerian Railway Corporation has attributed the recent derailment of an Abuja–Kaduna passenger train to human error, excessive speeding, and the misapplication of the emergency braking system
The incident, which occurred on August 26, 2025, left 22 passengers injured and sparked widespread concern about safety along one of Nigeria’s busiest rail corridors.
In a statement issued on Monday, NRC Managing Director, Dr Kayode Opeifa, confirmed that recovery and repair operations had been successfully completed. He explained that all affected locomotives and carriages were re-railed and taken to workshops for further inspection and technical work.
“Our engineers have repaired the main track to a level that guarantees safe operations. While train services will resume shortly, repair works on the secondary line are still ongoing and will continue until they are fully completed,” Opeifa said.
The derailment happened shortly after the train departed Abuja around 11 a.m., heading towards Kaduna. Several coaches overturned, forcing frightened passengers to flee for safety. Many described the experience as chaotic, with some initially fearing a terrorist attack.
Following the incident, the NRC immediately launched an in-house investigation to determine the root causes. Opeifa revealed that management had accepted all recommendations made by the internal panel. “Our investigation established that human error, excessive speeding, and the misapplication of the emergency braking system were the primary causes of the derailment,” he stated.
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