The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has moved to reassure passengers that disruptions on the Abuja–Kaduna rail line are part of a temporary setback, not a sign that the service is being abandoned.
The assurance came from the NRC’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Mr Callistus Unyimadu, who issued a statement on Tuesday addressing claims in a recent publication that the service was deteriorating. He said the corporation valued the concerns raised, noting that the route had become a symbol of Nigeria’s renewed investment in modern rail travel.
Unyimadu acknowledged that passengers had experienced discomfort following the reduction in service, particularly after an incident on 26 August that damaged key Diesel Multiple Unit coaches. The resulting shortage of operational rolling stock, he said, was one of two major setbacks currently affecting the line.
The first, he recalled, was the terrorist attack of March 2022, which left the corporation and its passengers traumatised. In its aftermath, the NRC overhauled safety protocols, restricted late journeys and strengthened security coordination with national defence and police units to prevent such an attack from reoccurring.
Repairs to the latest damage are being carried out urgently, with refurbished coaches and additional rolling stock expected to help restore the full timetable soon. Meanwhile, the corporation is reinforcing security measures and certifying repaired coaches for safe return to service.
Unyimadu said the period of reduced services should be seen as one of rebuilding rather than decline. He praised the Federal Government’s continued support under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, along with the active involvement of the Minister of Transport in expediting the restoration process.
He appealed to passengers to remain patient as improvements roll out gradually, promising that the service would soon return to full strength. The Abuja–Kaduna route, he added, remained a source of pride for the NRC, and the concerns raised by passengers only reinforced its determination to uphold high standards of service.
