The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has said that although technical faults affecting the Warri-Itakpe Train Services (WITS) have been resolved, operations will remain suspended to allow for further safety and service upgrades.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the NRC explained that the April 10 suspension was due to issues that posed risks to passenger safety and service reliability.
While engineers have fixed the core problems, the corporation said more time is needed to implement redundancies and system upgrades aimed at ensuring long-term efficiency and a better customer experience.
NRC Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, noted that the extra measures are necessary to align operations with global best practices.
“The general public will recall that the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) temporarily suspended full rail services on the Warri Itakpe Train Services (WITS), on Thursday, 10th April, 2025, due to some technical and operational issues for safety, better customer service experience, and improved operational efficiencies.
“The management of the Corporation, under the leadership of Dr. Kayode Opeif, a wishes to further clarify that while the major technical issues has been resolved by our technical team, additional time is required to implement necessary redundancies that will support sustainable operations in line with best practices,” the statement read in part.
The additional time will allow the NRC to make procedural upgrades and improve the overall safety standards of the equipment used on the Warri-Itakpe line.
The NRC thanked passengers for their patience and reaffirmed its commitment to restoring the Warri-Itakpe service soon with improved efficiency and reliability.
Passengers are advised to follow official NRC channels for updates, as safety and operational standards remain the corporation’s priority.
What you should know
The NRC initially suspended operations on the Warri-Itakpe rail line for 72 hours on April 10, 2025, following multiple engine failures that disrupted services on April 9.
- Although the 72-hour window has passed and the technical issues have been resolved, the suspension remains in place to allow for the implementation of safety redundancies and system upgrades.
- This is the latest in a series of disruptions affecting the Warri-Itakpe service. In February 2025, operations were halted due to a technical fault but resumed on February 22.
Earlier, in July 2024, a derailment involving several coaches occurred near Ujevwu, Delta State. While no injuries were reported, the incident led to a two-day service suspension for maintenance.
