The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abuja–Kaduna

  • Abuja–Kaduna train service: Progress, promises, and struggles

    Abuja–Kaduna train service: Progress, promises, and struggles

    • By Muhammad Iskeel Abdullahi

    The scene at Idu Train Station in Abuja reflects an institution actively working to recover from a challenging year marked by a major derailment in August 2025. Visible repairs, coordinated efforts among staff, and a clear focus on restoration indicate that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is genuinely committed to revitalizing the Abuja–Kaduna train service (AKTS).

    However, while tangible progress is evident, deep-rooted structural issues ranging from limited rolling stock to funding constraints continue to hinder full recovery and long-term sustainability.

    On the ground, substantial repair work is underway following the August 26, 2025, derailment at Asham, which involved a Kaduna-bound train with 618 passengers. NRC engineers successfully re-railed and recovered all affected coaches and locomotives shortly after the incident, moving them to workshops for comprehensive repairs.

    One previously damaged locomotive has been fully restored and is poised to re-enter service, providing concrete evidence of measurable advancement. Mechanics, engineers, and technicians remain actively engaged in rehabilitating other accidented units, demonstrating a committed, hands-on recovery approach.

    Service quality on the route has remained consistent in terms of passenger experience; clean coaches, reliable on-board amenities, and adherence to safety protocols, but the frequency has been impacted. Following resumption on October 1, 2025, operations typically run with two daily round trips (morning and afternoon departures from both Idu and Rigasa stations), with Wednesdays often dedicated to maintenance. This reduced schedule stems primarily from a shortage of operational locomotives rather than any intentional reduction in standards.

    NRC management has indicated that adding a third daily trip is viable with the availability of a standby locomotive for redundancy, a critical measure to prevent disruptions from mechanical faults. Journey times, currently around three hours (depending on temporary speed restrictions post-derailment), were initially lengthened as a precautionary safety step.

    Read Also: Bashiru to Wike: you lack locus to dabble into APC affairs

    Officials have stated that gradual  reductions in travel time are expected as system confidence builds and repairs stabilize, potentially returning closer to the pre-incident average of about two hours and a quarter.

    Management’s projections suggest that enhanced frequency, optimized travel times, and improved reliability could be achieved by early 2026, assuming no major setbacks.

    Recent initiatives, such as the nationwide 50% Yuletide fare discount in December 2025, have boosted passenger turnout, underscoring demand and operational capability when supported adequately.

    Human resource development is another key area. NRC structures training into in-house, local outdoor and international programs. Budgetary and logistical limitations have shifted reliance toward weekly in-house sessions to maintain core competencies, sponsored foreign training by CCECC and some few technical partners remain one of the only hope for foreign training.

    While in-house training is effective for immediate needs, this falls short of the expected, as there is need for more advanced, hands-on foreign training.

    A report from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) following the 2025 derailment highlighted maintenance lapses, though NRC has contested some findings and implemented internal corrections.

    The overarching challenge remains government funding, essential for any meaningful rail revival.

    Capital-intensive requirements for fleet expansion, spare parts procurement, infrastructure upgrades, and advanced staff training cannot rely solely on internal revenue or short-term fixes.

    Inconsistent allocations have forced practices like parts cannibalization, where components are stripped from damaged units to keep others running. This offers temporary solutions but depletes the asset pool, exacerbating vulnerabilities over time.

    Ticket access also demands urgent attention. Despite private sector controlled e-ticketing platforms and reduced trips at times, complaints of racketeering persist, with reports of touts and insiders hoarding tickets for resale at inflated prices. Such practices erode public trust, skew passenger data, and undermine revenue integrity. NRC has previously investigated similar allegations and increased service frequencies to mitigate this, but stronger enforcement and digital improvements are needed.

    Fleet age is a defining long-term issue. Introduced primarily in 2016, the core rolling stock is now approaching a decade in service without new equipment acquisition to implement aging ones and to support passengers increasing demands in line with global recommendations for replacement every four to five years in high-utilization environments (though some standards suggest major overhaul may be recommended).

    This aging infrastructure impacts on safety, reliability, scheduling flexibility, and growth potential.

    In summary, progress at Idu and along the corridor is undeniable: repairs are advancing, services resumed with enhanced safety checks, and clear timelines for improvements. Promises from NRC leadership are specific and tied to achievable milestones. Yet pitfalls abound limited redundancy, aging equipment, external training gaps, funding shortfalls, and governance issues like racketeering.

    True revival of the Abuja–Kaduna service demands more than NRC’s dedicated efforts; it requires sustained government commitment through predictable funding, strategic fleet renewal, periodic refurbishment institutional reforms, and robust oversight. Rail transport is inherently capital-intensive, and without shifting from episodic support to a long-term modernization plan, recovery will remain fragile.

    Nigerians eagerly awaits the NRC management planned revitalization, restoration, expansion and modernization plans, as they promised to optimize existing infrastructure as well as improving customer experience.

    The wait is getting too long.

    With consistent investment and policy clarity, however, the route can transition from cautious resumption to dependable, high-frequency service, restoring public confidence and unlocking economic benefits for northern Nigeria.

    •Abdullahi, is of the Journalists for Development

  • Abuja–Kaduna train derailment: Alkali, Opeifa rule out sabotage

    Abuja–Kaduna train derailment: Alkali, Opeifa rule out sabotage

    …apologise to journalists over ill treatment

    The Minister of Transportation, Saidu Ahmed Alkali, and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Kayode Opeifa, have assured Nigerians that the Abuja–Kaduna rail service remains safe, dismissing speculation that last week’s train derailment on the corridor was the result of sabotage.

    Speaking to journalists at the State House over the weekend, the Minister said investigations into the incident are ongoing, but preliminary findings suggest that it was caused by an operational issue rather than any deliberate act.

    “We have fixed the point machine from here up to Kaduna, and since then, there has been no issue of derailment. For this incident, investigations are ongoing, and we don’t want to preempt the committee until it submits its report,” Alkali explained.

    A point machine, also known as a switch motor, is a critical component of railway infrastructure that enables trains to move from one track to another and secures the tracks in place.

    Modern systems are often fitted with sensors to confirm the positioning of the blades and ensure safe operations.

    Read Also: Suicide: Senator raises alarm as Nigeria’s toll hits 16,000 annually

    The Minister acknowledged that the country still grapples with recurring cases of vandalism of railway assets despite several arrests and prosecutions in recent years.

    He noted that the federal government, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser, is finalising a comprehensive plan to bolster the protection of critical rail infrastructure.

    Alkali also hinted at ongoing procurement processes to extend rail connectivity from Warri to Ajaokuta and Abuja.

    On efforts to restore the Abuja–Kaduna corridor following the accident, Alkali disclosed that four of the ten derailed coaches had been successfully evacuated using specialised rail cranes, while work continued to remove the remaining coaches and repair the damaged section of the track.

    He assured commuters that every effort was being made to resume normal services as quickly and safely as possible.

    The incident has drawn attention to Nigeria’s broader rail safety challenges.

    Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveal that between 2020 and 2025, the country has recorded 188 train derailments.

    Significantly, 183 of these occurred in just a three-year span: 57 in 2020, 61 in 2021, and 65 in 2022, underscoring derailments as the most common type of railway accident in recent times.

    Observers have pointed to factors such as poor maintenance, ageing infrastructure, vandalism, and gaps in security as persistent problems for the rail sector.

    Responding to media reports that N30 billion was allocated in the 2023 federal budget for rail security, the Minister clarified that although such a proposal was presented, it was not captured in the final Appropriation Act.

    He, however, reiterated the government’s commitment to investing in new security measures, including advanced acoustic sensing systems to monitor and protect rail lines.

    On the issue of press access during the incident, NRC Managing Director, Dr Kayode Opeifa, apologised unreservedly to journalists, particularly to Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reporter Comrade Ladi Bala, who was reportedly denied access to the accident scene.

    His apology followed a protest letter from the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), which had strongly condemned the harassment of its immediate past national chairperson.

    “If any journalist or medium felt excluded or not well treated at the accident scene, I take full responsibility and I sincerely apologise. We are committed to transparency and will continue to provide the press with access and information as events unfold,” Opeifa said.

    He also addressed concerns about safety, noting: “Nationwide, rail tracks are constantly targeted by vandals and scrap syndicates. But with specific reference to this incident, the track showed no signs of sabotage or structural failure. Our initial findings indicate it was an operational accident at a junction point.”

    Opeifa confirmed that all 618 passengers on board the derailed train were safely evacuated adding that twenty sustained minor injuries, while seven were hospitalised but have since been discharged.

    The NRC, he added, has borne all medical expenses for the affected passengers.

    The recent incident has rekindled debates over the safety of Nigeria’s railways, which have experienced a surge in patronage since the federal government launched new standard gauge lines such as the Abuja–Kaduna and Lagos–Ibadan corridors.

    As the NBS figures highlight, however, ensuring consistent safety across the network remains a challenge.

    For now, both the Ministry of Transportation and the NRC maintain that the Abuja–Kaduna line remains secure, with efforts underway to restore full operations and implement long-term measures to guarantee the safety of passengers and rail assets.