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Warri–Itakpe train derails days after service resumed.
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NRC blames suspected track vandalism, no casualties reported.
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Train operations suspended for safety and security review.
Barely three days after resuming operations, the Warri–Itakpe Standard Gauge train derailed on Saturday night, renewing concerns over rail safety and persistent vandalism along Nigeria’s key railway corridors.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirmed that the derailment occurred around 7:30 p.m. at Kilometre 212+8m, near Agbor, Delta State. Two out of the seven coaches on the train were affected.
In a statement released on Sunday, the NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, said preliminary investigations point to suspected track vandalism as the likely cause of the accident.
“Preliminary investigations indicated that the incident may have been caused by suspected track vandalism. We wish to inform the public that a train derailment occurred at approximately 19:30 hours involving two out of seven coaches of our Warri–Itakpe service,” Opeifa stated.
He confirmed that all passengers on board were safely evacuated and that no lives were lost. “We are pleased to confirm that all passengers were safely evacuated to Agbor, and everyone has been fully accounted for. No casualties or injuries were recorded,” he added.
According to the NRC, a recovery team supported by security personnel has been working at the site since Saturday night to retrieve the derailed coaches and restore the damaged section of the track. Opeifa said recovery efforts were progressing steadily and expected to be completed soon.
As a precautionary measure, the NRC has temporarily suspended operations on the Warri–Itakpe corridor to enable a full security and safety audit of the line. “We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause our valued passengers. Normal operations will resume as soon as the track is verified safe,” the statement read.
Saturday’s incident came just three days after the NRC resumed operations on the route on October 29, following months of suspension for “urgent track repairs” after massive theft of rail infrastructure.
The derailment also comes barely two months after a similar accident occurred on the Abuja–Kaduna line, leaving several passengers injured. Earlier this year, another train carrying over 600 passengers derailed mid-journey, injuring seven people.
The NRC, which manages inter-state rail services across the country, continues to face challenges of track vandalism, component theft, and ageing infrastructure, all of which threaten the safety and reliability of rail transport.
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