THE Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that one of its trains along the Warri-Itakpe route has derailed, leading to an immediate suspension of operations along the route.
The incident occurred just four days after services resumed on the corridor, according to a statement issued on Sunday, November 2, by the NRC.
Reports indicate that before the Kaduna–Abuja train accident on August 26, the NRC had suspended the Warri–Itakpe train service on August 2 following a series of breakdowns and technical issues.
It was further reported that on Sunday, October 26, the NRC announced the official resumption of the Warri–Itakpe Train Service. Operations were scheduled to resume officially on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, following the earlier suspension.
However, just four days after operations resumed, the NRC suspended services again following another derailment.
In a statement signed by its Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, the NRC explained that the incident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, and involved two of the train’s seven coaches at Kilometre 212+8m in Agbor, Delta State.
Preliminary investigations, according to the statement, suggest that the derailment might have been caused by suspected track vandalism.
“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,” Opeifa highlighted.
He said train services along the corridor had been temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure to allow for a thorough security and safety audit of the track and related infrastructure.
He expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers and the public, assuring that normal operations would resume once the route is confirmed safe.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org