Report by Nana POKU
The hardworking Minister of Railway Development, Hon John Peter Amewu has indicated that the construction of railway lines is very expensive.
According to the minister one kilometer of rail line is costing between 5-7 million dollars per kilometer. He stated that Ghana currently is spending about 5.8 million dollars per kilometer of the construction going in the country.
The minister revealed this at his encounter with the Press in Accra on Wednesday ,1st of December,2021. He disclosed that the Tema Mpakadan rail line of 100 kilometers is 90% complete. However, the remaining portion from Mpakadan to Tamale, Bolgatanga to Burkina Faso is to be awarded to investors on Build, Operate and Transfer basis as envisaged in the transnational project to open up the land locked countries.
He said that the two leaders of Ghana and Burkina Faso have met and set up a consultative committee to implement the agreement reached. The minister told the Newsmen that the line from Tarkwa to Kojokrom is functional and the line from Manso Nkwata to Huney Valley has been awarded for construction and that will soon begin through GOG funding.
The minister intimated that currently most railway Construction is GOG funded but plans are afoot to seek donor funding to complete the haul. He indicated that government will link all mineral infested areas to the rail network to make transportation easy. He touched on the Kyebi Integrated Bauxite Project that will be connected to the Eastern Railway network as well as the Season and Nyinahin Bouxite deposits that will be connected to the Western railway line network.
Showing the map of the rail network, the minister said the president attached great importance to the railway construction and he has promised a legacy of railway systems to Ghana to be remembered for.
According to him, every sinew would be stretched to situate the railway network to ease transportation by new standard gauges instead of the outmoded gauges, create youth employment, accessibility, and reviving of economic activities in our country. In order to train and produce competent rail workers, the railway school in Second – Takoradi has been upgraded to a university level as the George Grant University of Railway Development affiliated to UNiMART at Tarkwa. He instructed that all railway problems must be addressed at the institute. All technical issues and degree programs in conjunction of railways must be attended to in Ghana. The minister praised the railway companies and organizations for good work so far and assured Ghanaians of a new railway regime under the current president who is poised to leave a legacy for the country.
