Excessive speeding, misapplication of braking system caused Abuja–Kaduna train derailment: NRC

 

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says its internal investigation into the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment on August 26 at Asham has been concluded.

NRC’s managing director, Kayode Opeifa, in a statement on Monday, noted the investigation pointed to human error, including excessive speeding and misapplication of the emergency braking system.

He said the management has accepted the recommendations and awaits reports from the Ministerial Committee and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau before final decisions. 

Mr Opeifa noted substantial progress in recovery, repair, and safety works following the train derailment.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Opeifa said engineers had successfully re-railed and recovered all coaches and locomotives involved in the derailment.

According to him, the recovered assets were transferred to designated workshops for comprehensive assessment and technical repair.

Mr Opeifa confirmed that the main line had been repaired to a safe level for operations, though work continues on the secondary track.

He added that the second line would remain closed until all necessary repairs were completed.

The managing director explained that engineers had commenced a full safety and infrastructure assessment of the corridor to guarantee durability, reliability, and safety.

Mr Opeifa said that this stage included a thorough evaluation of the repaired section and other critical infrastructure along the route.

He stressed that operations would only resume after inspections, technical tests, and certifications had been successfully concluded.

“Safety remains our top priority. The corporation reaffirms its determination to restore public confidence in rail services,” Mr Opeifa said.

On passenger welfare, Mr Opeifa confirmed that of the 618 passengers on board, 22 sustained injuries and are at various stages of recovery.

He said 512 passengers had been contacted, while 71 remained unreachable due to non-responsiveness, wrong contacts, or unavailability.

Mr Opeifa assured passengers that an official announcement on the resumption of services would be made shortly.

The managing director expressed appreciation to passengers for their patience and understanding throughout the recovery period.

He also thanked the media houses for their timely updates and the security agencies for supporting recovery operations and safeguarding lives and property.

(NAN)