The track from Ujevwu in Delta State to Itakpe in Kogi State is in bad condition, which is why the Nigerian Railway Corporation has suspended Warri-Itakpe train services.
Customers received notification of this via a note stating the agency would be returning to business on Monday, July 8, 2024.
As per the NRC, the reason for the suspension, which took effect on Friday, was a track obstruction.
“This is to officially notify our esteemed passengers that the Warri-Itakpe Train will not run today, Friday, 5th July 2024, due to the obstruction we have on our track.
“We shall resume our normal train services on Monday 8th July 2024. Passengers who already booked their tickets online will be refunded,” it noted.
Around 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, a train that was going from Itakpe, Kogi State, to Ujevwu, Delta State, broke apart as it was getting close to the Abraka rail station.
Up until they got to a location close to Abraka in Delta State’s Ethiope East Local Government Area, passengers allegedly had a nice voyage.
According to sources, the train was slowing down when scared passengers leaped through the doors, dragging the other coaches with the derailing coach.
But there were no official reports of injuries from the event.
Recall that in October of last year, the Federal Government introduced e-ticketing for the trains travelling between Lagos and Ibadan and Itakpe and Warri. The service sought to do away with the need for paper tickets and cash transactions by revolutionising the way travellers purchase and pay for their train tickets.