Nigerian Railway Refutes Social Media Claim, Assures Passengers Warri-Itakpe Corridor Is Safe

By; MATTHEW UKACHUNWA, Lagos

Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has declared that it remains committed to the highest standard of safety and security in all of its operations.

The Corporation made the statement while debunking a social media message which warned the public to avoid train travel, particularly along Warri-Itakpe railway corridor.

“Our tracks and rolling stock are under constant surveillance and maintenance and our personnel are fully equipped to address any issues that may arise in real time,” the railway corporation explained.

NRC management described as misleading and unfounded the social media message which was accompanied with a short video showing removed clips indicating that rail transport is currently unsafe.

“The identified incident involving the temporary removal of some rail clips at a specific location on the corridor was promptly detected during routine inspection and was immediately rectified by our maintenance team,” NRC management clarified in a statement titled, “Rejoinder: Rail Transport on Warri-Itakpe Corridor Remains Safe and Operational.”

In the statement issued on Monday evening, NRC said that all necessary safety and operational protocols were strictly followed to ensure that no threat was posed to passengers or the integrity of the train operations.

“Indeed, the Warri-Itakpe Train (WITS) has successfully passed through the affected section without any incident, further confirming the safety of the route,” NRC’s Ag. Deputy Director, Public Relations (Ag. DDPR), Mr. Callistus Unyimadu, explained.

The Corporation assured Nigerians and the general public that it is committed to the highest standard of safety and security in all its operations.

It urged the public to disregard the viral message and continue to use its train services with full confidence.

It pointed out that any attempt to spread fear and discourage the use of rail transport undermines the progress being made in the rail transport sector should be condemned.

NRC management advised passengers who seek official updates on its activities and travel advisories to “rely only on verified NRC communication channels.”