A Kaduna-bound passenger train derailed on Tuesday morning at Asham, along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, shortly after departing Abuja at 9:45 am, sparking fresh concerns over the safety of Nigeria’s railway system.
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) confirmed the incident through its official X handle, posting:
“Kaduna bound train derails at Asham along Abuja-Kaduna corridor. Train left Abuja at 9:45 am.”
The state broadcaster also shared a video clip showing several coaches off the track, with passengers, including women, children, and men, struggling to crawl out of the derailed train.
In the footage, the eyewitness recording the scene narrated that she had been seated in the last coach and, upon exiting after the sudden halt, saw that some coaches had overturned while others stood damaged, with stranded passengers gathered outside.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had yet to issue an official statement on the derailment, and NTA did not confirm whether there were casualties or injuries.
The Abuja-Kaduna corridor—one of Nigeria’s busiest passenger routes—has suffered repeated setbacks from accidents and technical failures.
Only days ago, the NRC reported that a Kaduna-bound train developed a “hot axle” fault near Rigasa Station in Kaduna, disrupting services for several business class passengers.
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Earlier in May 2024, another derailment was recorded at Jeremy Station along the same corridor.
Nigeria’s railway sector, already grappling with vandalism, poor infrastructure, and underinvestment, has seen derailments emerge as the most common form of train accident.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) 2023 Social Statistics Report, between 2020 and 2022, Nigeria recorded 183 derailments, compared to 155 cases of locomotive failures and loss of control, 51 cases of coach detachment, 28 collisions, nine washouts, and 41 incidents linked to miscellaneous causes.
Beyond derailments, widespread vandalism—including theft of signaling equipment, sabotage of rail tracks, and destruction of critical infrastructure—continues to undermine safety and service delivery across major corridors.
The derailment comes at a time when the Nigerian Railway Corporation is battling maintenance issues across several key lines.
The Warri-Itakpe corridor, another major passenger and freight route, has been shut down for urgent repairs following repeated safety concerns.
On August 22, 2025, the NRC announced that repair works on damaged sections had reached an advanced stage, with services expected to resume soon.
The Asham derailment underscores the fragile state of the country’s railway network, raising questions about the safety of passengers and the government’s ability to deliver reliable transport infrastructure.