The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has halted train services on the Warri-Itakpe route after a derailment occurred just four days after operations resumed.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NRC explained that the incident took place around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Kilometre 212+8m in Agbor, Delta State, involving two of the train’s seven coaches.
According to NRC’s Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, all passengers were safely evacuated, and thankfully, no one was injured.
“We’re glad to report that all passengers were safely evacuated to Agbor, and everyone has been accounted for. Thankfully, there were no injuries or casualties,” Opeifa said.
The NRC boss stated that initial findings indicate the derailment may have been caused by track vandalism.
“Our recovery team, along with security personnel, has been on-site since last night working on restoration efforts. The operation is moving along well and should be completed soon,” he added.
Opeifa noted that the suspension of service was a precautionary step to allow for a thorough security and safety inspection of the tracks and related infrastructure.
“We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause our valued passengers and the public. Train operations will resume once we confirm that it’s completely safe to do so,” he said.
The Warri-Itakpe rail line, stretching over 300 kilometres, is the longest of Nigeria’s three modern railway routes, alongside the Lagos–Ibadan and Abuja–Kaduna lines.
Train operations on the Warri-Itakpe line had just resumed on October 29, 2025, after being halted since August 2 due to several breakdowns and technical issues.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that between 2020 and 2025, Nigeria recorded over 188 rail-related incidents, many of which were attributed to vandalism by scavengers and organised criminal groups.
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