Naija Blog reports that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has identified poor maintenance practicesand a faulty track switch as the main causes of the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment that occurred at Asham Station on August 26, 2025.
According to the bureau’s preliminary report, damaged sleepers at the station—previously weakened by an earlier incident—were “patched instead of being properly repaired.” Investigators also discovered that the automatic switch mechanism at the crossing point was unserviceable, leaving personnel to operate it manually.
The point clip used to secure the switch was later found broken, which compromised track alignment and triggered the derailment.
The incident, the second derailment at Asham Station in just over a year, injured 21 passengers but caused no fatalities among the 618 people on board.
The report also raised red flags about the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), revealing that staff had only undergone initial training with no refresher courses, while critical tools and spare parts from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) were “largely inaccessible” at the time of the crash.
NSIB’s Safety Recommendations
The bureau has ordered the following urgent actions:
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Replacement of all compromised sleepers.
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Installation of OEM-standard point switches along the Abuja–Kaduna corridor.
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Restoration of defective monitoring and communication equipment such as CCTV cameras, clocks, and safety instruments.
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Regular refresher training for NRC staff to improve preparedness.
The NSIB stressed that these are preliminary findings, adding that further investigations will focus on:
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Technical inspections of the turnout and switch mechanism.
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Examination of track alignment.
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Detailed checks of derailed locomotives and coaches.
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Analysis of crew statements, signal records, communication logs, and eyewitness accounts.
The final report, with comprehensive conclusions and additional recommendations, will be released once the investigation is completed.
