The Nigerian Railway Corporation on Friday announced the suspension of rail service on the Ujevwu (Udu) to Itakpe (Kogi) after a train derailed along the corridor on Thursday evening enroute Delta State.
The train was said to have derailed while enroute to Ujevwu Station near Udu when it suddenly derailed into a nearby bush leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
The accident happened about 7.15pm – a perilous time in view of insecurity in the country.
It was learnt that the train also developed fault on Thursday morning while travelling to Itakpe, but the issue was almost immediately fixed by engineers on board.
The train was reported to have arrived behind schedule at Ujevwu on Wednesday.
Passengers who ply the route said they observed that the train had been wobbling before Thursday incident.
The Ujevwu-Itakpe train has suffered several derailments since it’s commissioning.
In a statement on Friday, NRC said it suspended operations on the route due to an “unexpected fault”.
The statement posted on X apologised to commuters over the suspension.
The statement read, “Due to an unexpected fault, train operations are suspended for today. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.”