Hundreds of passengers were left stranded on Sunday after the locomotive operating the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) suffered a major technical malfunction en route from Ujevwu in Delta State to Itakpe in Kogi State.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the disruption caused significant delays and confusion, particularly at the Itakpe train station where passengers who had booked tickets for the return trip to Delta and other destinations arrived, only to be informed of the breakdown.
The station manager at Itakpe, Mr. Paul Ikeozala, confirmed the incident but downplayed its severity, insisting it was “just a delay.” When pressed for further details, Ikeozala declined to provide additional information.
However, sources within the Itakpe train station told TNG that the incident was indeed a major technical glitch. While they declined to disclose the specific nature of the malfunction, the impact was clearly visible as affected passengers scrambled to find alternative travel arrangements.
“I have to be in Asaba first thing tomorrow morning because I have an important scheduled meeting I must not miss. I am going to Auchi, from there I will find my way,” said one visibly frustrated passenger, a contractor who refused to be named, speaking around 4:30 pm.
Some passengers opted to seek accommodation at nearby motels in hopes of catching the Monday train, while others explored more immediate but uncertain road transport options.
There has been no official statement yet from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) regarding the incident. However, Mr. Ikeozala assured that the train would be available for operations on Monday.
Despite this assurance, a reliable source at the station revealed that Sunday ticket holders may not be guaranteed seats on Monday’s train.
“They should request for refund and book new tickets for Monday to be guaranteed sitting or they should be willing to stand through the journey,” the source said, adding that a similar arrangement had been adopted in previous cases.
TNG reports the Warri-Itakpe rail corridor has been a critical artery for travellers shuttling between the Southern part of Nigeria and the Northern regions.
Sunday’s disruption has once again raised concerns about the reliability of Nigeria’s rail infrastructure and the effectiveness of response mechanisms during emergencies.
As of the time of filing this report, there is still no word from the NRC on measures to compensate affected passengers or prevent future occurrences.