Accident Bureau Blames NRC Safety Lapses for Abuja–Kaduna Train Derailment

September 24, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has blamed poor maintenance and safety lapses by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment of August 26, 2025.

Releasing its preliminary report on Tuesday, the bureau said the passenger train, carrying 618 passengers, derailed at Asham Station after passing through a manually operated switch point that had earlier been declared unserviceable. A broken “point clip” was found at the scene, while several sleepers damaged in a previous derailment at the same location had not been replaced but only patched.

Although 21 passengers sustained injuries, no fatalities were recorded in the accident which saw seven coaches and a forward locomotive overturned.

The investigation further revealed that several critical monitoring and communication systems at the station, including CCTV cameras and clocks, were defective at the time of the derailment. The report also noted a shortage of spare parts, inadequate access to original equipment components, and a lack of regular refresher training for NRC staff.

The NSIB, in its safety recommendations, directed the NRC to replace all compromised sleepers and faulty switch point equipment with original manufacturer-standard parts, restore defective monitoring devices, and provide regular safety training for its personnel. It also called for improved flagging of caution zones to guide train drivers.

The bureau said the derailment was the second at Asham Station in just over a year, raising concerns over recurring safety challenges on the corridor. It stressed that the findings remain preliminary as further technical inspections of infrastructure, locomotives, and crew records are ongoing.