The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has apologised to passengers on the Abuja–Kaduna afternoon service after a safety-related engine fault forced the train to return to Rigasa shortly after departure.
In a statement issued in Lagos, the Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, dismissed reports that passengers were stranded, describing such claims as misleading. He explained that the brief disruption followed a standard safety procedure after the backup engine began to lose power less than 30 minutes into the trip.
Opeifa noted that although the train could technically have continued its journey, heightened security concerns along the corridor made it more prudent to return to Kaduna for a full assessment.
“Though the train could push through, for security concerns on the route and since they were less than thirty minutes into the journey, it was advisable to pull back to Rigasa for safety reasons,” he said.
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The train later resumed its trip at 4 pm, one hour after the incident, and arrived at Idu at 18.52 hours, about eighty minutes behind schedule. Passengers were kept informed throughout the delay through the public address system on board and at Rigasa station.
Dr Opeifa compared the decision to standard aviation practice, where an aircraft diverts to the nearest airport when faced with engine trouble. He said that had the fault occurred in the morning, the train might have continued and shunted at the nearest stations, Jere, Rijana, or Gidan, but the evening timing made a return to Kaduna the more secure option.
He apologised for the inconvenience and urged media organisations to seek proper clarification before rushing to publish sensitive operational reports that could mislead the public.
The Managing Director reaffirmed the corporation’s commitment to upholding strict safety and reliability standards across its narrow and standard gauge corridors, stressing that the NRC remains focused on ensuring passengers reach their destinations safely.
