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Warri-Itakpe Train Derails 4 Days After Resumption, NRC Suspends Service
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has suspended operations on the Warri-Itakpe rail corridor following a derailment that occurred just four days after the resumption of service on the route.
In a statement released on Sunday, the NRC confirmed that the derailment happened at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Kilometre 212+8m, Agbor, Delta State. The incident involved two out of the seven coaches of the train.
The Managing Director of NRC, Kayode Opeifa, said all passengers were safely evacuated and no casualties were recorded.
“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,” Opeifa said.
According to the NRC boss, preliminary investigations suggest that track vandalism may have caused the incident.
“Our recovery team, supported by security personnel, has been on site since last night carrying out recovery operations. These efforts are progressing steadily and are expected to be completed soon,” he added.
Opeifa explained that the decision to suspend service was taken as a precautionary measure to enable a comprehensive security and safety audit of the track and related infrastructure.
“We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause our valued passengers and the general public. Normal operations will resume as soon as it is verified safe to do so,” he stated.
The Warri-Itakpe train, spanning over 300 kilometres, is the longest of Nigeria’s three modern rail lines, alongside the Lagos–Ibadan and Abuja–Kaduna corridors.
Rail services on the Warri-Itakpe route had only resumed on October 29, 2025, after being suspended since August 2 due to multiple breakdowns and technical faults.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria recorded more than 188 rail-related incidents between 2020 and 2025, many of which were linked to vandalism by scavengers and organised criminal groups.
