The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has confirmed that 21 passengers were injured but no lives were lost in the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment that happened on August 26, 2025, at Asham Station.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the agency said the train, a locomotive with registration CDD5c2 2701, left Idu Station in Abuja at 9:45 am heading to Rigasa, Kaduna, with 618 passengers on board, including Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) crew, security officials, and service staff.
“At approximately 11:09 h, shortly after passing a manually operated switch point at Asham Station, the forward locomotive and adjoining coaches derailed and overturned. Twenty-one passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries, while no fatalities were recorded,” the NSIB said.
The Bureau noted that its preliminary report on the incident is now available for download on its website.
“Initial findings and recommendations are contained in the preliminary report, which is available for download on the NSIB website. The report represents early findings and is subject to further analysis. The final report will present detailed conclusions and additional recommendations to enhance rail safety in Nigeria,” the agency added.
The NSIB explained that the ongoing investigation will provide a more detailed final report with stronger safety recommendations to help prevent similar accidents.
The train service involved, registered as AK1, had eight coaches and two locomotives when it derailed at Asham Station.
Earlier, the Nigerian Railway Corporation had blamed the crash on “excessive speeding” and the “misapplication of the emergency braking system.”
In a separate statement on Tuesday, the NRC said its engineers had successfully re-railed and recovered all affected coaches and locomotives, which were moved to workshops for inspection and technical repairs.
“Our team of engineers has successfully repaired the main line to a level that allows us to safely resume operations. While train services will recommence, work on the secondary track will continue simultaneously. During this period, the second line will remain out of use until all necessary repairs are fully completed,” the NRC stated.
The corporation added that its engineers have started a full safety and infrastructure review to ensure the route meets the highest standards before resuming service.
“Safety remains our top priority,” the NRC said, assuring passengers that train operations will only resume when all safety checks are complete and the route is confirmed safe.
