The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has temporarily suspended train services along the Port Harcourt–Aba route to facilitate essential maintenance work on the rail line.
According to the NRC, the suspension is part of routine maintenance aimed at ensuring the safety and reliability of the rail line.
In a statement signed by the Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa on Friday, the Corporation said regular train services will resume on September 9, 2025.
The NRC also apologized for the inconvenience caused to passengers during the period.
“Port-Harcourt to Aba train services suspended for routine maintenance. To resume regular train services on the 9th of September 2025. We regret all inconveniences.
Meanwhile, the Corporation has issued an update on recovery efforts following the August 26 derailment of the Abuja-Kaduna train service, which involved a locomotive and several coaches.
According to the NRC, seven days after the incident between Kubwa and Asham stations, engineers have successfully recovered a locomotive and four coaches, which were transported to Idu Station for assessment.
It added that site preparation has begun for the deployment of heavy equipment to recover the remaining four coaches and an additional locomotive.
“A total of 618 persons were onboard the ill-fated train, comprising 583 passengers, 15 NRC crew members, 1 medical personnel, 8 cleaners, and 11 catering staff. All individuals were safely evacuated. Unfortunately, while 7 were reported as critically injured, passenger tracing conducted by the NRC medical team established that 20 persons sustained various degrees of injury, out of which 9 were reported critical. The Corporation takes full responsibility for the incident and is actively supporting those affected.
“To aid affected passengers, the NRC set up an Incident Desk to handle enquiries and provide regular updates through dedicated phone lines: Queen 0703 645 2228, Lilian 0703 199 3211, and Abubakar – 0803 659 3212. So far, the Corporation has been able to reach 510 out of the 583 passengers listed on the train manifest.
The Managing Director, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to security agencies and media partners for their support during the recovery process.
He also acknowledged the Minister of Transportation’s site inspection and commendation of NRC’s efforts.
The Corporation reassured the public that restoring full train operations safely and promptly remains a top priority.
