Rail transport in Ghana explained

See main article: Ghana Railway Corporation. The railway system in Ghana has historically been confined to the plains south of the barrier range of mountains north of the city of Kumasi. However, the narrow gauge railway, totalling 1,300 kilometres,^[1] is undergoing major rehabilitation and inroads to the interior are now being made. In Ghana, most of the lines are single tracked, and in 1997 it was estimated that 32 kilometres were double tracked.

There are no rail links of the main system with adjoining countries. However, the Lomé—Aflao line of the Togo rail system is partly located in Ghana.^[2] There are also plans to extend the Kumasi-Takoradi railway to Paga, by the Burkina Faso border,^[3] plus a branch from Tamale to Yendi.^[4]

Railway network In Ghana

The Railway network in Ghana as historically constructed partly by British Colonial Rule comprised three lines which when combined formed an "A" shape. The three lines are as follows.

The Western Railway Line

The Western Railway Line was the first railway line constructed from Kumasi to Sekondi and then later extended to Takoradi.

The Eastern Railway Line

The Eastern Railway Line, also known as the Cocoa Line was the second railway line constructed from Kumasi to Accra.

The Central Railway Line

The Central Railway Line is a railway line that connects the Eastern Line at Adjen Kotoku to the Western Railway line at Huni Valley to make it possible to travel by train from Accra to Takoradi via rail without going through Kumasi.

Timeline

2020

Several SGR are under construction, including

• a line from Tema, via Ho and Tamale to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. This line is called the Ghana Burkina Faso Interconnectivity Project. This project began with the phase one construction of the Tema-Mpakadan Railway Line, which runs from the Tema Harbour to the Inland fishing harbour at Akosombo.
• a concrete sleeper plant at Hemi.

2022

• On 31 August 2022, an agreement was announced to upgrade the 299 km Western Railway line to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), to be operated by Ghana Railway Co and Thelo DB will as rail manager for the US$3·2bn project.^[5]

2024

• Procurement of two Diesel Multiple Unit passenger trains^[6] from Polish rolling stock manufacturer, PESA.^[7]
• Collision between train and mini truck parked on the line during a test run.^[8] The driver was sentenced to 6 months in jail with damage estimated to cost US$2.1 million.^[9]
• Representatives from the ECOWAS Member States, regional organizations, and development partners convened in Accra, Ghana, from May 9 to May 10, 2024, with the objective is to analyze the railway aspect of the ECOWAS Regional Infrastructure Master Plan (RIMP) and ensure the coordination of railway infrastructure advancements across the ECOWAS region.^[10]

See also

• Railway stations in Ghana

External links

• unofficial website of Ghana Railways
• , illustrated description of the railways of Ghana

Further reading

• Fred Shelford, "On West African Railways", Journal of the Royal African Society, 1 (April, 1902), pp. 339–354

Notes and References

1. Web site: Home Ghana Railway Company Limited . 2022-06-30 . grcl.gov.gh.
2. Web site: Williams . Glyn . Railways in Togo . live . sinfin.net . 2006–2020 . 2021-11-22 . https://archive.today/20211122193537/https://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/togo.html . 2021-11-22.
3. Web site: Railway Gazette: News in Brief . 2010-11-15. .
4. Web site: GHANA SIGNS WITH CHINA . 2010-12-12. Railways Africa. 2010-12-12.
5. Web site: 2022-08-31 . Ghana Western Railway development agreement signed . 2022-09-02 . Railway Gazette International.
6. Web site: 2021-04-14 . Transformation of rail transport: 2 coaches to be procured for Tema-Akosombo rail line - MyJoyOnline . 2024-03-27 . www.myjoyonline.com . en-US.
7. Web site: Cireasa . Doru . 2024-02-09 . PESA Poland delivers trains to Ghana . 2024-03-27 . Railway PRO . en-US.
8. News: 2024-04-19 . Ghana’s newly imported train from Poland collides with lorry in test run . 2024-05-13 . en-GB.
9. News: Dzidzoamenu . Isaac . 2024-06-06 . Accident: Damage to Tema Mpakadan train valued at over $2m – Prosecution to Court - Starr Fm . 2024-06-12 . Starr Fm . en-US.
10. Web site: Agana . Roger A. . 2024-05-11 . Consultative meeting on regional railway transport opening ceremony held News Ghana . 2024-05-13 . newsghana.com.gh/ . en-US.