NRC suspends Warri–Itakpe train services again after fresh derailment

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has once again suspended train operations on the Warri–Itakpe corridor following another derailment that occurred on Saturday evening.

This latest disruption comes barely four days after the corporation resumed services on the route, raising fresh concerns about the safety and maintenance of the railway line.

In a statement released on Sunday, the NRC confirmed that the incident took place at Kilometre 212+8m, Agbor, Delta State, around 7:30 p.m. According to the corporation, the derailment involved two out of the train’s seven coaches.

The Warri–Itakpe line, which stretches over 300 kilometres, is the longest of Nigeria’s three modern rail routes — the other two being Lagos–Ibadan and Abuja–Kaduna.

Before now, the NRC had suspended the service on August 2 following multiple breakdowns and technical faults. Train operations were only restored on October 29, 2025, after months of maintenance work.

However, the corporation confirmed that the service had to be halted again due to the latest incident.

According to the NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, preliminary findings suggest the derailment may have been caused by suspected track vandalism.

Opeifa stated, “We are pleased to confirm that all passengers on board were safely evacuated to Agbor, and everyone has been fully accounted for. No casualties or injuries were recorded. Our recovery team, supported by security personnel, has been at the site since last night, carrying out recovery operations. These efforts are progressing steadily and are expected to be completed soon.”

He added, “As a precautionary measure, train services on the corridor have been temporarily suspended today to enable a comprehensive security and safety audit of the track and related infrastructure. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause our valued passengers and the general public. Normal operations will resume as soon as it is verified safe to do so.”