At least 26 people have been injured following an accident involving the Abuja–Kaduna train service, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
The incident occurred on Monday morning during a scheduled trip from Rigasa in Kaduna to Abuja, raising fresh concerns about rail safety on Nigeria’s busiest train corridor
In an interim report released by NRC Managing Director Kayode Opeifa, the train departed Rigasa at 7:15 a.m. and was nearing Asham station at about 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard.
According to the report, the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches, likely due to a fault in one or more couplers.
,”The accident occurred around kilometre 50–51 on the Kaduna–Abuja railway line.
Despite the impact, no derailment was recorded. The affected components—Loco 2809, power car BVA0002, and passenger coach SP0006—were detached before the journey resumed. The train later arrived in Kubwa at 10:10 a.m. and completed its trip to Idu station in Abuja at 10:39 a.m., arriving 38 minutes behind schedule” .
Passengers and Casualties
A total of 481 people were on board the train, including: 429 passengers,10 train crew members,26 security personnel,
6 food vendors,8 cleaners, 2 medical/support staff.
Out of this number, 26 individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries, including passengers, security personnel, and onboard staff.
Preliminary findings point to a mechanical failure involving the train’s couplers, although investigations are still ongoing.
Despite the disruption, train services resumed later the same day. The Abuja–Kaduna return service (AK1) departed Idu at 2:48 p.m., behind its scheduled 11:00 a.m. departure, and arrived in Rigasa at 5:33 p.m.
This marks the second major incident on the Abuja–Kaduna rail line within a year.
In August 2025, a train derailment occurred along the same route, involving over 600 passengers. Seven people were injured in that incident and were promptly treated.
