Derailment scene of the Abuja-Kaduna train as NSIB faults poor maintenance and staff training gaps in its preliminary investigation report.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has blamed poor maintenance culture and inadequate staff training at the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for the recent derailment of a Kaduna-bound passenger train, which left 21 passengers injured.
The preliminary report, released on Wednesday, examined the incident involving train number AK1 with locomotive CDD5c2 2701, which derailed on August 26, 2025, at the Kubwa–Asham section in Kagarko Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
According to the NSIB, the accident occurred shortly after the train passed the Asham Station switch point, causing the forward locomotive and seven adjoining coaches to derail. The train was carrying 618 people, including crew, service staff, and security operatives.
The Bureau’s findings revealed several lapses:
Some track sleepers damaged during a previous derailment 13 months earlier at Asham were only patched rather than replaced.
The automatic crossing point switch mechanism at the station was unserviceable, forcing staff to operate it manually. The point clip used was broken.
NRC personnel had received only initial training with no refresher courses, while essential operational equipment and spare parts were not readily available.
Safety tools such as CCTV cameras and station clocks remained unserviceable.
NSIB warned that these gaps posed serious risks to passenger safety. It recommended that NRC replace all damaged sleepers, install genuine Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts for point switches along the Abuja–Kaduna corridor, and institute regular refresher training for staff to reduce the likelihood of future derailments.
The Abuja–Kaduna rail line remains one of the busiest in Nigeria, and the latest incident marks the second derailment at Asham Station in just over a year, raising concerns about the long-term safety of the route.
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