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By Fidelis Ugbomeh
The recent train accident involving a Kaduna to Abuja bound train near Asham few Kilometres to Abuja calls to question the integrity of maintenance of standard gauge tracks and coaches in the fleet of Nigerian Railway Corporation.
Although no live was lost in the derailment. about 7 passengers sustained various degrees of injuries and as confirmed by management of the corporation the affected passengers were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The managing director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa in a statement said about in all about 648 people were onboard the train out of which 15 are crew members.
According to him the process of investigation into cause of the accident has been started by relevant government agency and all Abuja-Kaduna train Services has been temporarily suspended.
Meanwhile the accident is coming a few days after passengers who booked to board the business class coach were denied right to board the train but instead offered hotel accommodation due to hot wheel problem.
According to a retired technical officer of Nigerian Railway Corporation who spoke under annonimity, it is by the grace of Almighty that major train mishaps have not occurred apart from the terrorist bomb attack on Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, 2022 which saw many kidnapped, few dead and scores injured.
He also posited that government invested in the modernisation of the rail transport system but failed to train staff to maintain these equipment.
According to him, safety of passengers must be paramount through the installation of automated signalling and communications equipment away from the manual currently in use.
Another respondent Mr. John Iguma noted that for instance, the digital signal and communications equipment installed along the Lagos-Ibadan railway corridor has remained dormant as officials rely on radio frequency to regulate train movements.
