26 Injured as Abuja–Kaduna Train Suffers Mid-Journey Incident Near Asham Station
Jerry Adesewo, Abuja, March 16, 2026
At least 26 passengers and crew members sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday morning after a mechanical incident disrupted the Abuja–Kaduna rail service near Asham Station, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed.
According to an interim report issued by the Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, the incident occurred on the KA-2 service operating from Rigasa in Kaduna to Idu in Abuja.
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The train departed Rigasa Station at 7:15 a.m. as scheduled and arrived Jere Station at 8:52 a.m., one minute ahead of schedule. However, the train departed Jere at 8:59 a.m., about six minutes behind schedule, after an additional locomotive (Loco 2809) was coupled to the train to strengthen operational resilience.
The situation escalated shortly afterward.
At approximately 9:16 a.m., while approaching Asham Station between kilometre markers 50 and 51, passengers and crew reportedly heard a loud bang when the train’s power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
Initial findings suggest the incident may have been caused by a possible failure in one or more couplers, leading to an unexpected decoupling within the train set. Railway officials stressed that none of the coaches derailed, averting what could have been a far more serious accident.
Following the incident, railway engineers detached the affected units — Locomotive 2809, power car BVA0002, and passenger coach SP0006 — from the train before continuing the journey.
Despite the disruption, the train was able to resume movement.
It departed the incident site at 9:42 a.m., arrived Kubwa at 10:10 a.m., and eventually reached its final destination at Idu Station, Abuja at 10:39 a.m. The disruption caused a total delay of 38 minutes, largely due to the time required to isolate and remove the damaged rolling stock.
The train was carrying 481 people at the time of the incident, including 429 passengers who had boarded from a total of 459 booked travelers. The rest of those on board included 10 train crew members, 26 security personnel including members of the Man O’ War, six food vendors, eight cleaners, and two third-party operators, including a nurse and a technical service provider.
Emergency response procedures were immediately activated following the incident. The NRC reported that 26 individuals sustained injuries, affecting passengers as well as some security personnel, cleaners and medical staff attached to the service. The extent of the injuries was not immediately detailed, but authorities indicated that medical assistance was promptly provided.
Despite the morning disruption, railway authorities worked to restore service on the busy intercity route.
The Abuja–Kaduna rail service resumed operations later in the day, with the AK1 service departing Idu for Rigasa at 2:48 p.m., significantly later than its scheduled 11:00 a.m. departure. The train arrived in Rigasa, Kaduna at 5:33 p.m., with the NRC Managing Director and other officials on board to oversee the recovery operations.
A return service, KA-4, subsequently departed Rigasa at 6:12 p.m., arriving Kubwa at 8:31 p.m. and Idu Station at 8:58 p.m.
The NRC said investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the suspected coupler failure, while safety checks on rolling stock are expected to be intensified.
The Abuja–Kaduna rail line, one of Nigeria’s busiest passenger rail corridors, remains a vital transportation link between the nation’s capital and the northern commercial hub. Authorities have assured passengers that safety remains a top priority as technical teams continue their assessment of the incident.