The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced a 100% refund for passengers affected by a technical glitch on the Warri-Itakpe Train Service on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.
The glitch, which occurred around 6:00 pm, delayed passengers overnight at Ajaokuta Train Station before they continued their journey the next morning.
In a statement signed by Yakub Mahmood, Deputy Director of Public Relations, and shared on the NRC’s official X account on Thursday, the management directed the ticket concessionaire to inform affected passengers of the refund.
The NRC also apologized for the inconvenience and reaffirmed its commitment to safe, comfortable, and affordable train services.
“The Management apologized for the unforeseen glitch, especially to our esteemed passengers even as it assured Nigerians of its readiness to continue to work at providing a convenient, comfortable, safe and for the failure and the 100 percent refund of their ticket fare,” the statement read in part.
Nairametrics’ search on the NRC booking website showed that the fare per adult for the Warri-Itakpe route is N9,500 for Business class and N5,000 for Regular class. For the Warri-Uromi route, the fare is N5,200 for Business class and N2,500 for Regular class, while the Uromi-Itakpe route costs N4,000 for Business class and N2,500 for Regular class.
The NRC thanked the Kogi State Government for providing security at the site of the glitch, ensuring passengers’ safety. It also pledged to improve its systems to prevent similar issues on the Itakpe-Warri route and other train corridors.
What you should know
The technical glitch on the Warri-Itakpe Train Service corridor on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, occurred just eight months after several coaches on the same line derailed at Ujevwu near Abraka in Delta State on Thursday, July 4, 2024, at approximately 7:15 pm.
- Although no fatalities were recorded, the incident led the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to suspend train services on the route, with operations resuming on Monday, July 8, 2024.
- Beyond the Warri-Itakpe Train Service, there have been several reported incidents on NRC-operated lines in recent years. In May 2024, for example, a train coach derailed on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor at Jeremy Station.
- In addition to derailments, other reported causes of railway incidents in Nigeria include loss of control, locomotive failure, detachments, washouts, collisions, and various other operational challenges.
These recurring incidents highlight the need for improved safety measures and infrastructure maintenance in the Nigerian railway system to prevent such accidents.
