Aliyu Galadima
Abuja Kaduna train on Friday derailed at Kubwa, the development is happening few days after the Warri-Itakpe Train Service derailed at km 30 Ajaokuta-Itakpe section of the track.
About 148 passengers and 30 crew members on board were left stranded in a forest in Kogi State.
A source at the venue of the incident told our reporter that the train left Kaduna for Abuja and derailed at the Kubwa axis.
The cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing the report. Passengers are stranded but it is unknown if there are casualties. Personnel of the Nigerian Police were at the venue, it was learnt.
The Abuja Kaduna train was suspended in March 2022 after terrorists bombed the train, killed some passengers and abducted around 60 passengers. For eight months the train service was suspended over safety concerns.
When the service resumed, the Nigerian Railway Corporation resorted to a ‘more secured train’ called the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) — A self-propelled train, controlled by a single driver, restricting unauthorized exit/entry.
The limitation of disadvantages of the new train include higher fuel costs, high maintenance as well as worse acceleration and top speed performan ce.
The journey, however from Idu to Rigasa took approximately 2:20 minutes, and the same was recorded from Rigasa to Kubwa train station.