NRC affirms commitment to passenger welfare, says Abuja-Kaduna train resumes October 1

*The Nigerian Railway Corporation reaffirms its commitment to providing safe, secure, and reliable train transportation for Nigerian travellers

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Sequel to its recent completion of comprehensive safety, technical, and operational checks, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced that the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train service will officially resume operations Wednesday, October 1, 2025.

ConsumerConnect had reported the NRC suspended services on the Abuja-Kaduna route due to the August 26 accident, when the train derailed in motion.

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It is recalled that a passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna derailed morning of Tuesday, August 26 this year leaving several carriages overturned and triggering panic among those on board.

The accident occurred along the popular corridor shortly after the train departed Abuja around 11 a.m., en route to Kaduna.

The unfortunate incident caused passengers to flee for safety. While many described the scene as chaotic and frightening, some others initially thought it was a terrorist attack.

Subsequently, Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of NRC, later announced that all the affected train coaches and locomotives had been re-railed and moved to designated workshops for comprehensive evaluation and further technical work.

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Callistus Unyimadu, Chief Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NRC, in a statement at the weekend, reaffirmed the Corporation’s commitment to providing safe, secure, and reliable train transportation for Nigerians.

Unyimadu stated: “The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is pleased to announce the resumption of passenger train services on the Abuja–Kaduna corridor, effective Wednesday, 1st October 2025.”

Earlier, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), in its preliminary report on the incident released last week, had disclosed that infrastructure neglect was a major contributor to the recent Abuja-Kaduna train derailment.

The NSIB, against the Nigeria Railway Corporation’s claim that 20 persons were injured in the accident, revealed that 21 passengers actually sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident.

On passenger welfare, ticket refunds and consumer protection

Meanwhile, in an update on the Corporation’s efforts at addressing passenger welfare going forward, the NCR Management expressed gratitude to passengers for their patience and understanding during the service suspension, reaffirming its commitment to delivering improved, safer rail services nationwide.

The Corporation equally said that the August 26 accident involved 618 individuals on Board.

The NRC also noted out of 583 ticketed passengers involved in the accident, 530 have been successfully contacted, and 512 have received refunds.

He added that injured passengers had also been reached, and many had received visits from NRC medical teams.

“The injured passengers are entitled to one free ride per week until December 31, 2025,” NRC reportedly stated.

However, 53 individuals involved in the incident have yet to be reached, according to report.

NRC release updated service timetable

Alongside the resumption, the NRC also has released an updated timetable reading: Abuja to Kaduna: IDU: 8:45 a.m., Kubwa: 9:05 am, Rigassa (arrival): 12:42 p.m., while Kaduna to Abuja: Rigassa: 2:30 p.m., Kubwa: 6:02 p.m., and IDU (arrival): 6:23 p.m. Wednesdays were also designated as maintenance days, during which no commercial service will operate on the route.

The Corporation said in the statement: “Out of the 583 passengers on board, 530 passengers were contacted by phone, out of which 512 have successfully received refunds.

“All 22 injured passengers have been contacted, many visited by our medical team, and will enjoy one free ride per week until December 31, 2025.

“All 618 people on board during the August 26, 2025, accident will be entitled to one free ride before December 31, 2025.”

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