BREAKING: Warri-Itakpe train service suspended – NRC confirms

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the suspension of normal commercial operations on the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) route.

NaijaOnPoint.com.ng (NOP) reports this is coming after the train operating the WITS route suffered a minor derailment on Thursday.

However, the NRC, confirming the suspension of operations on the route in a terse statement on its booking website, attributed it to “an unexpected fault”.

“Dear esteemed customers, due to an unexpected fault, train operations are suspended for today. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Thank you for your continued patronage,” the terse statement reads.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the train operating the WITS route derailed on Thursday, 4th of July 2024. All passengers and crew members notwithstanding arrived at their various destinations safely.

A source in NRC, who refused to be named, disclosed efforts were ongoing to restore the affected track to normal traffic.

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Recall that the Warri-Itakpe rail line, a 326 kilometres railway facility, was inaugurated by Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s president in September 2020. However, commercial transportation of passengers did not commence until October 2020.

The Warri-Itakpe rail line, which runs from Ujevwu in Delta State, through Edo and Ajaokuta and terminates at Itakpe in Kogi State, was conceived more than 30 years ago. The rail line was conceived to connect Nigeria’s iron ore mining in Itakpe and Ajaokuta, and steel production belt in Aladja, Delta State.

Since the inception of full commercial operations, the rail tracks have suffered from the activities of serial vandals, and the train has derailed on several occasions.

In August 2023, management of NRC announced suspension of the WITS as a result of a derailment at the Ajaokuta station.

Earlier, about 148 passengers and 38 crew members had escaped death as a result of a derailment inside Kogi forest in January 2023. Train operations were suspended for about 3 months until April 2023.