Onome Amuge
Train services on Nigeria’s eastern corridor are set to resume on Tuesday after a suspension triggered by a mid-journey breakdown that left passengers stranded earlier this month.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said on Monday that its Port Harcourt–Aba service, halted since September 5 for what it described as routine maintenance, would return to operation following repairs to the train that stalled near Imo River on September 3.
Onyedikachi Onovo, spokesperson for NRC’s eastern district, said engineers attempted to restart the train after it developed what he termed an “unusual fault” en route from Port Harcourt to Aba. But when those efforts failed, the corporation deployed an alternative locomotive, designated Loco 2306, to recover the train and convey passengers back to safety.
Footage of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing passengers walking long distances and even crossing streams to find alternative transport after the stoppage. The viral images intensified public scrutiny of Nigeria’s ageing rail infrastructure, highlighting the operational challenges facing the government’s efforts to modernise the network.
The corporation said the faulty train had since been returned to Port Harcourt workshops for thorough repairs under enhanced quality control measures, and that the resumption of service was intended to restore confidence among commuters who rely on the 62 kilometre link between Port Harcourt, the oil hub of the Niger Delta, and Aba, a bustling commercial centre in Abia State.
“All passengers affected by this disruption are advised to visit our stations in Port Harcourt or Aba with evidence of payment for a possible refund or replacement of train ride,” Onovo said in a statement.
The Port Harcourt–Aba corridor is part of Nigeria’s eastern narrow-gauge railway, a colonial-era network that has suffered decades of neglect. Though overshadowed by the newer Abuja–Kaduna standard-gauge line, the eastern corridor remains vital for moving passengers and goods across the south-east, where road transport is often slowed by congestion and insecurity.
In recent years, the federal government has pledged to rehabilitate the eastern line, including signing contracts with Chinese state-backed companies, but progress has been slow and services remain prone to disruption.
The NRC has also struggled to rebuild trust following high-profile incidents, including the March 2022 terrorist attack on the Abuja–Kaduna line in which dozens of passengers were abducted. Although the Port Harcourt–Aba route has not experienced such security threats, reliability and maintenance issues remain central concerns for businesses and commuters seeking alternatives to the country’s overburdened highways.
The restart of the service comes at a time when policymakers are seeking to position rail as a backbone of Nigeria’s transport infrastructure, supporting both trade and regional integration. For small traders in Aba’s Ariaria market, one of west Africa’s largest, the line provides a crucial connection to Port Harcourt’s seaports, where imports and exports flow.
