Passengers Stranded As Abuja-Kaduna Train Breaks Down In Bush

Hundreds of passengers were left stranded as Abuja-Kaduna Train breaks down in the middle of a forest on Monday.

The incident happened few minutes after the train left Rigasa station in Kaduna state.

A passenger claimed that the train had initially stopped twice before it finally broke down in Dutse, Kaduna state around 7am.

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Fidelis Okhiria also confirmed the incident.

Okhira said the train broke down as a result of engine failure but said a relief engine has taken over.

“Engine failure, but a relief engine has taking over,” the MD stated via text message.

However, passengers have continued to lament the rigours of travelling on the route as breakdowns of the locomotive leave them stranded for hours.

A passenger lamented “I left my house as early as 5:am to join the 6:40 am train but unfortunately I have been trapped here in this forest. This is not the first time I will be experiencing this mess,” he said.

Another passenger said he had a similar experience on Saturday, saying they spent five hours to get to Abuja.

“This is unfortunate. On Saturday, we spent five hours from Abuja to Kaduna. We left Abuja at 6:pm but we did not get to Kaduna until 11:pm,” he said.

An NRC engineer, who addressed the passengers, told them that it would take them two hours to fix the train.

“We are very sorry, the locomotive is faulty. We have contacted the Idu Train Station for another locomotive. It would take them two hours to be here,” he said.