Ghana reintroduces railway service to connect its capital and industrial hub

Ghana reintroduces railway service to connect its capital and industrial hub

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• Ghana has re-launched the Accra-Tema rail lines.
• For the first two weeks, the Railway Company will provide free rides for passengers.
• The train will have about six stopovers along the line before getting to its final destination each day.

               
           
               
                   

Ghana’s Minister of Railway Development, Joe Ghartey has re-launched the Accra-Tema rail lines.

               
           
               
                   

This railway line connects Ghana’s industrial hub, Tema to the country’s capital, Accra.

               
           
               
                   

Officials of the Ghana Railway company have indicated that passengers decide to go by train, the journey from Accra Central to Tema will take them approximately one and half hours, and vice versa. 

               
           
               
                   

The train will have about six stopovers along the line before getting to its final destination each day.

               
           
               
                   

The Railway Company is, therefore, offering free rides to commuters after which they will begin to pay for the service.

               
           
               
                   

The two rail lines that used to carry passengers that are the Accra-Tema and Accra-Nsawam rail lines stopped operating years ago due to the poor state of the system.

               
           
               
                   

The trains were rusty and old, the rail lines were in a poor state, people encroached on their lands among others.

               
           
               
                   

At the launch, the Railway Development Minister Joe Ghartey said he was excited at the progress the sector is making under his leadership.

               
           
               
                   

He promised Ghanaians that they would see great development in the railway sector in the coming days.

               
           
               
                   

He indicated that most of the work done in the sector currently was done by the railway workers themselves.

               
           
               
                   

“Our own people put the rail line together all by themselves. This is not to say we do not need help but I am happy to say our men did this. The Accra Tema rail was not operating when we took over office. There was some derailment some time back and that was why we had to close the railway. By God’s Grace, we’ve done a bit of work and the fruits are showing. The rail sector is a difficult one if you ask me.”   

Source: Ghana reintroduces railway service to connect its capital and industrial hub

- gist culled from pulseng