The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that an avoidable train incident occurred on Tuesday morning near Asham along the Abuja rail corridor, but clarified that the event was not a derailment.
In a statement issued by the Managing Director of the corporation, Kayode Opeifa, the NRC said the incident happened at about 10:30am and involved a rear locomotive and a passenger coach.
According to the statement, preliminary findings indicate that the rear locomotive made contact with the coach directly behind it due to a coupling issue.
The corporation said some passengers sustained injuries during the incident and were immediately attended to before being taken to a nearby medical facility for further treatment. It added that no fatalities were recorded.
The NRC explained that emergency response protocols were activated immediately after the incident. Technical teams were deployed to the location while officials of the Safety Investigation Bureau were invited to conduct a full investigation in line with established safety procedures.
An eyewitness who shared his experience on X, identified as @sadaoverall, said passengers heard a loud bang before the train jolted to a sudden stop.
“We heard a loud bang and the train jolted to a stop, flinging people across. Passengers got hit and most are bleeding and severely injured. Train delayed for some 30 minutes and resumed to Kubwa,” the witness wrote.
The corporation said the train eventually arrived at Idu Station at about 10:39am, roughly 38 minutes behind schedule, after time was allowed to detach the affected rear locomotive and passenger coach marked SP 0006.
Providing further clarification, the NRC stressed that the incident should not be described as a derailment.
It explained that a derailment occurs when a train’s wheels leave the track, making it impossible for the train to continue its journey. In this case, the train remained on the rail line and was able to proceed to Idu Station where passengers disembarked safely.
The corporation urged the public and media organisations to rely on verified information and avoid inaccurate descriptions of the incident.
The NRC also reassured passengers that safety remains its top priority and that necessary steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence while ensuring the continued safe operation of rail services.
