Passengers on the Thursday afternoon Abuja–Kaduna Train Service were apologized to by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) after the train had to return to Kaduna because a backup engine had lost power soon after departure.
According to reports, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, the Managing Director of the NRC, insisted that travelers were never abandoned at any stage and called previous allegations that claimed passengers were stranded “misleading.”
When it was found that the backup locomotive was malfunctioning less than half an hour into the trip, Opeifa claimed the company’s stringent safety procedures led to the decision to reverse the train.
“Although the train could have continued the journey, it was advisable to pull back to Rigasa, Kaduna for safety reasons due to security concerns on the route and the fact that they were less than half an hour into the trip,” he stated.
He claims that the action is similar to international aviation safety protocols, which require aircraft to promptly divert in the event of an engine failure.
The trip resumed around 4:00 p.m., approximately an hour after the train was brought back to Rigasa Station for inspections, according to the NRC chief. At 18:52 hours, the train finally reached Idu Station in Abuja, around eighty minutes beyond schedule.
He noted that the public address systems at the station and on board kept passengers informed at every stage of the procedure.
Opeifa clarified that if the incident had happened during a morning service, the train might have continued and shifted at any of the closest stations, Jere, Rijana, or Gidan. However, since it was an evening travel, when the route presents greater security threats, this was avoided.
In order to prevent misleading the public, Opeifa asked media outlets to confirm reports before publishing them, pointing out that no passenger was in danger.
He emphasized that the NRC is still dedicated to “upholding high standards of safety and reliability across all routes, whether on narrow or standard gauge lines” and that the company would keep making sure that every passenger gets to their destinations without incident.
