The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has suspended the Abuja-Kaduna train service indefinitely following the derailment of a passenger train on Sunday.

NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, announced the suspension in Abuja, assuring that refund measures were in place for affected passengers. He said 618 passengers were on board when the incident occurred near Asham train station, with six sustaining injuries.

Opeifa dismissed claims that the trains were in poor condition.

The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Hajiya Zubaida Umar, led a rescue team to the scene, while the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has launched a probe into the cause.

Preliminary findings suggest the derailment may have been linked to vandalism or improper fixing of track points. An NRC source explained that the train derailed at a junction where three rail lines converge. “If those points are not properly set and a train goes into it, it will fall. It could be vandalism, negligence, or even sabotage. Investigations are ongoing,” the source said.

Earlier, the NRC confirmed the incident in a statement via its official X handle, @info_NRC:
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation confirms a train derailment involving our Kaduna-bound AKTS train service at 11:09 a.m. at KM 49 between Kubwa station and Asham station. Emergency rescue, medical personnel, and nearby hospitals have already been mobilised. Full complement of security already on the ground as effort is ongoing to move all passengers back to Abuja safely. Kindly bear with us at this moment.”