The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has suspended the Warri-Itakpe rail service after a train derailed on Thursday.
The train was travelling from Itakpe in Kogi to Ujevwu in
Delta when the accident occurred at about 7.15pm.
Ediri Oyibo, a digital strategist who was on board when the
accident happened, said the train wobbled along its track at several locations
during the journey.
“As a frequent user of the train service, riding on the
train from Ujevwu to Itakpe on Wednesday, 3rd of July 2024, I practically had
my heart between my teeth when the train wobbled along its track at several
locations; one, on top of a valley crossing,” he said.
“Riding on the train, something told me the Warri-Itakpe
train service is a disaster waiting to happen. A derailment on top of a valley
crossing will spell doom.
“Passengers on the trip reported how the train had earlier
overshot a station it was supposed to stop due to brake failure.”
Taribio Walson-Oweifawari, a broadcast journalist who was
also on the train, said the coach before hers almost fell off a high point when
the train derailed.
“My coach is VIP and it is Coach 1. The coach immediately
after ours was Coach 2 and it derailed. Hai!!! I just kept shouting Jesus when
it looked like ours was going to tumble. Just a little bit more, that coach
would have fallen off the high point, and taking our coach with it,” she wrote
in a Facebook post.
On Friday morning, the railway corporation announced the
suspension of train operations on the route.
“Due to an unexpected fault, train operations are suspended
for today. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your
understanding,” the NRC said.
Last year, NRC suspended operations on the Warri-Itakpe rail
service after a train derailed at kilometre 30, Ajaokuta-Itakpe section of the
track.
In May, a train travelling from Kaduna to Abuja derailed in
Jere.
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