The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has attributed the August 26 derailment of an Abuja–Kaduna passenger train at Asham Station to faulty infrastructure and lapses in safety management by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
According to the bureau’s preliminary findings, the derailment—occurring at the same station for the second time in 13 months—took place shortly after the train crossed a manually operated switch point that had earlier been declared unserviceable.
Investigators revealed that several track sleepers damaged during the previous derailment were patched rather than replaced. They also found that the point clip, used to secure the switch, was broken at the time of the incident.
The report further noted that NRC personnel had only undergone initial training, with no refresher courses provided. It added that critical safety and monitoring equipment, including CCTV cameras, communication devices, and clocks, had long remained defective.
Operational tools and spare parts from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) were also found to be largely inaccessible, further compromising safety standards.
Although 21 passengers sustained injuries, there were no fatalities among the 618 people on board.
The NSIB recommended that the NRC replace all compromised sleepers, install OEM-standard point switches along the Abuja–Kaduna corridor, and repair all defective monitoring equipment. It also urged the corporation to conduct regular refresher training for staff to enhance safety compliance.
The bureau stressed that the findings remain preliminary and that a final report will provide deeper conclusions and additional safety measures.
