The Management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has apologised to passengers aboard the afternoon Abuja–Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) following a delay caused by a procedural safety decision after the backup engine lost power shortly after departure.
The Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, described as “misleading” a report claiming that passengers were stranded, noting that at no point were commuters abandoned.
According to him, the corporation’s uncompromising commitment to safety informed the decision to return the train to Kaduna immediately it was discovered that the backup engine was losing power.
“Though the train could have continued the journey, for security concerns on the route, and given that they were less than 30 minutes into the trip, it was advisable to pull back to Rigasa, Kaduna, for safety reasons,” Opeifa explained.
He added that the journey resumed at 4:00 p.m.—about 60 minutes later—and the train arrived at Idu Station at 18:52 hours, roughly 80 minutes behind schedule.
Opeifa noted that passengers were kept fully informed via the Public Address Systems (PAS) on board and at the Rigasa Station.
He likened the decision to standard aviation procedure, where an aircraft diverts to the nearest airport if one or both engines fail. He added that if the incident had occurred during a morning trip, the train could have continued and shunted at the nearest stations—Jere, Rijana, or Gidan—but this was avoided because it was an evening service.
The Managing Director apologised for the inconvenience caused and urged media organisations to verify reports before publication to avoid misinforming the public.
He reaffirmed NRC’s commitment to upholding high safety and reliability standards across all its routes, whether on narrow or standard gauge lines, stressing that the corporation remains fully dedicated to delivering passengers safely to their destinations.
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