The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced that passenger train services on the Abuja–Kaduna route will resume on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
According to its Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, the services will restart after completing all necessary safety, technical, and operational checks.
Train operations were suspended after a derailment on August 26, the second such incident at the same station in just over a year. The accident happened after the train passed a manually operated switch point that had earlier been declared faulty.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) later reported that the derailment was caused by defective infrastructure and lapses in safety management within the NRC.
In its update, NRC said all required checks have now been carried out to ensure safe and smooth services for passengers.
The Corporation also gave details about passenger welfare following the August 26 accident. It said 530 of the 583 passengers on board had been reached by phone, and 512 already received refunds.
All 22 injured passengers were contacted, with many visited by NRC’s medical team. They will also enjoy one free train ride every week until December 31, 2025.
In addition, every one of the 618 people on board during the incident will be entitled to one free ride before December 31, 2025.
The NRC also released the new timetable for the Abuja–Kaduna service. Trains from Abuja will depart IDU station at 8:45 am, stop at Kubwa at 9:05 am, and arrive in Kaduna (Rigassa) at 12:42 pm. The return trip from Rigassa leaves at 2:30 pm, stops at Kubwa at 6:02 pm, and arrives at IDU at 6:23 pm.
The Corporation announced that every Wednesday will now be set aside for maintenance on the Abuja–Kaduna train service.
NRC thanked passengers for their patience during the suspension period and promised safer, more reliable, and customer-friendly train services. It also assured Nigerians of its dedication to affordable rail transport that boosts national connectivity and supports economic growth.
