Brakes Fail, Train Derails: NRC Shuts Down Warri-Itakpe Route

Naija News reports that the train was traveling from Itakpe in Kogi State to Ujevwu in Delta State when the accident happened around 7:15 PM.

Ediri Oyibo, a digital strategist who was on board, shared with The Cable that the train experienced instability at several points during the journey.

“As a frequent user of the service, I was on the train from Ujevwu to Itakpe on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. During the trip, the train wobbled dangerously along its track at multiple locations, including a valley crossing. It felt like a disaster waiting to happen,” Oyibo recounted. “Earlier in the journey, the train even overshot a station due to brake failure.”

Broadcast journalist Taribio Walson-Oweifawari, who was also on the train, described the frightening experience on Facebook. “My coach was VIP, Coach 1. The coach right after ours, Coach 2, derailed. I kept shouting ‘Jesus’ as it looked like our coach might tumble. A little more, and that coach could have fallen off the high point, possibly dragging ours with it.”

The NRC announced the suspension of train operations on the route the following morning.

“Due to an unexpected fault, train operations are suspended for today. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding,” the NRC stated.

This is not the first incident on this route. Last year, the NRC suspended operations on the Warri-Itakpe service after a derailment at kilometre 30 of the Ajaokuta-Itakpe section of the track. Additionally, in May, a train traveling from Kaduna to Abuja derailed in Jere.