From Idu Jude, Abuja
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says it will announce a new resumption date for the Abuja, Kaduna rail corridor, with emphasis that it has made substantial progress in its recovery, repair, and safety efforts following the derailment last month.
The latest development is however, in contrast to the earlier announcement that the train services would commence 10 days after the derailment.
The Corporation, in an official statement signed by the Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, on Tuesday, confirmed that its team of engineers has successfully re-railed and recovered all coaches and locomotives involved in the incident.
These assets, it said, have since been moved to designated workshops for comprehensive assessment and further technical work.
“Our team of engineers has successfully repaired the main line to a level that allows us to safely resume operations. While train services will recommence, work on the secondary track will continue simultaneously. During this period, the second line will remain out of use until all necessary repairs are fully completed”.
Opeifa, further informed that the engineers have now commenced a comprehensive safety and infrastructure assessment to ensure that all aspects of the corridor meet the highest standards of safety, durability, and reliability before operations resume.
This second phase includes a thorough evaluation of the repaired section and other critical infrastructure along the route.
NRC emphasized that the resumption of operations will only take place after all necessary technical inspections, tests, and certifications are concluded. “Safety remains our top priority,” the Corporation stated, reaffirming its determination to restore public confidence in rail services.
“On passenger welfare, we confirm that out of the 618 passengers on board the affected train, 22 sustained injuries and are at various stages of recovery. We have successfully contacted the 512 passengers, while 71 are yet to be reached due to various reasons ranging from not responding, wrong numbers, and unavailability.
“We have also completed an in-house investigation into the incident, with management accepting all recommendations of the internal investigation team. While awaiting the outcome of the committee set up by the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Alikali.
Highlighting on excessive speeding and misapplication of the wheel according to the findings of the Nigerian Safety
Investigation Bureau (NSIB) NRC, noted, “We wish to state clearly that our investigation points to human error in the emergency braking system”.
