Abuja | Our Correspondent
Several passengers were injured on Monday morning after a train operating on the Abuja–Kaduna Railway corridor was involved in an incident that forced the service to halt midway through the journey.
The passenger train travelling from Kaduna to Abuja failed to reach its destination as scheduled after the disruption occurred along the busy rail line connecting the Federal Capital Territory with Kaduna State.
Sources within the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirmed the development, although details surrounding the cause of the incident remained unclear as of press time.
Passengers on board recounted that the incident occurred suddenly, sending shock through the coaches as the train came to an abrupt halt.
Some travellers said they heard a loud bang moments before the train jolted violently, throwing several occupants off their seats and triggering panic inside the compartments.
According to eyewitness accounts, the Abuja-bound train may have collided with another train along the corridor, forcing rail operations to stop temporarily while authorities assessed the situation.
The incident reportedly left a number of passengers with cuts and bruises, after they were flung against seats and metal fittings during the sudden impact.
A passenger, Sada Malumfashi, who shared his experience on the social media platform X, described the frightening moment shortly after disembarking from the train.
“Just dropped from the Kaduna-Abuja train. We heard a loud bang and the train jolted to a stop, flinging people across. Passengers got hit, and most are bleeding and severely injured,” he wrote.
Malumfashi added that the train remained stationary for about 30 minutes before it resumed movement slowly towards Kubwa, on the outskirts of Abuja.
He also criticised the lack of immediate communication from the railway authorities regarding the situation.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Callistus Unyimadu, confirmed the incident and said the corporation would soon release an official statement detailing what transpired.
The Abuja–Kaduna Railway is one of Nigeria’s busiest rail routes, widely used by commuters seeking a safer and faster alternative to the road network between the two cities.
Further details about the incident and the condition of injured passengers were still being awaited at the time of filing this report.