Wednesday, September 24, 2025 - The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau on Wednesday published its preliminary findings on the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment that occurred on August 26, 2025, at Asham Station, confirming that 21 passengers sustained injuries but no lives were lost.
The train, a locomotive with registration CDD5c2 2701, had
departed Idu Station in Abuja at 9:45 am en route to Rigasa, Kaduna, carrying
618 people, including Nigerian Railway Corporation crew, security personnel,
and service staff.
“At approximately 11:09 h, shortly after passing a manually
operated switch point at Asham Station, the forward locomotive and adjoining
coaches derailed and overturned. Twenty-one passengers sustained varying
degrees of injuries, while no fatalities were recorded,” the NSIB stated.
The agency confirmed that initial findings and
recommendations have been published in its preliminary report, which is now
available for download on the NSIB website.
“Initial findings and recommendations are contained in the
preliminary report, which is available for download on the NSIB website. The
report represents early findings and is subject to further analysis. The final
report will present detailed conclusions and additional recommendations to
enhance rail safety in Nigeria,” the Bureau said.
The NSIB emphasised that while the preliminary report
provides an overview of the incident, ongoing investigations will inform the
final document with more comprehensive safety recommendations aimed at
preventing similar accidents in the future.
On August 26, 2025, a train operating on the Abuja-Kaduna
service registered as AK1 with eight coaches and two locomotives had derailed
at Asham station.
In its preliminary findings, in-house investigation, and
statements to the public, the NRC had attributed the derailment primarily to
human error, specifically “excessive speeding” and “misapplication of the
emergency braking system.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the corporation confirmed
that its engineers had re-railed and recovered all coaches and locomotives
affected by the incident.
The assets were subsequently transferred to designated
workshops for assessment and further technical work.
“Our team of engineers has successfully repaired the main
line to a level that allows us to safely resume operations. While train
services will recommence, work on the secondary track will continue
simultaneously. During this period, the second line will remain out of use
until all necessary repairs are fully completed,” the NRC stated.
According to the statement, engineers had commenced a
comprehensive safety and infrastructure assessment to ensure the corridor met
the highest standards of durability and reliability before services resumed.
This phase, it added, included a thorough evaluation of the
repaired section and other critical infrastructure along the route.
The NRC emphasised in the statement that services would not
restart until all safety procedures were cleared.
“Safety remains our top priority,” the corporation had
stated, reaffirming its determination to restore public confidence
in rail services.
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