Railway Transport is Back

By Emmanuel Gbedemah & Edem Seshie

The President of Ghana, His Excellency Prof. John Evans Attah-Mills, yesterday

commissioned the Tema-Accra railway network and also performed a sod cutting

ceremony for the extension of the railway line from the Tema Railway Station to

Japan Motors in Community One as part of his administration’s effort to revamp the

railway sector as entrenched in his BETTER GHANA agenda.

Speaking to a cross section of Ghanaians including Ministers of State, Traditional

rulers, the Chinese Ambassador, members of the Diplomatic Corps, railway workers and

some residents of Tema at the Tema Railway Station, the President noted that it was

not good on the part of the nation that the railway sector was abandoned stating

that it is wrong to underestimate the contribution the rail transport can add to the

development of the economy.

He added that it was in this light that his administration is determined to arrest

the decline of the railway system in Ghana and set it on course to regain its status

and one of the platforms through which the BETTER GHANA will be realized for all

Ghanaians.

“This is just the beginning of a sturdy journey to make our rail transport system an

integral part of building a Better Ghana and I can assure you that this is the first

step of a journey that would bring enormous joy and relief to Ghanaians countrywide”

he said.

He was optimistic that the train service, with the introduction of the newly

acquired Diesel Multiple Units trains, would improve travel time between Tema and

Accra and reduce the inconvenience commuters go through everyday.

The President also recalled his recent visit to China, stating that he was hopeful

that all agreements signed would be worked on with speed and due diligence to enable

work begin as soon as possible.

The President called on Management and staff of the Ghana Railway Authority to

devote themselves to duty and also apply themselves to their various roles to ensure

safety and quality of service. He also encouraged commuters to take full advantage

of the system to save commuting time and money.

The Minister of Transport, Hon. Mike Hammah, on his part, stated government’s

commitment towards the rehabilitation of the railway tracks at the Western corridor

of the country with an amount of $2 million released on the President’s directives

to ensure that the haulage of bauxite and other minerals which are the chief support

of the country’s rail services, did not grind to a halt or collapse completely.

Hon. Hammah also said the government intends to extend the commuter train services

to densely populated areas such as Dansoman and Kasoa as well as Winneba at the

Western corridor and Dodowa to the east.

“Let me reinstate the commitment of the Ministry of Transport and for that matter

government to revive the railway industry and to empower Ghana Railways to operate

as a viable and competitive transport operator.”

Workers of the Ghana Railway Authority who were excited at the government’s

commitment to revamping the railway sector cheered the President on his arrival and

throughout the ceremony.

Holding placards with inscriptions such as “Support Atta-Mills for a Better Ghana”

and “Atta Mills is the best in the world”, they sung the praises of the President,

promising not to betray the confidence he has in them to help make the railways

sector a competitive one.

Ironically, while the President was inaugurating the railway lines, NPP fanatics

were shouting themselces hoarse on the airwaves of radio stations trying to claim

credit for the success the Mills administration had chalked in this sector.

Hon. Ameyaw Ekumfi, Minister for Ports, Harbours and Railways in the Kufuor

government who should be telling Ghanaians how he and government spent the $89.3

million earmarked for the railways sector from the $750 million eurobonds government

accessed in 2007 was heard saying on radio that the Kufuor government did 80 % of

the job that went into President Mills inaugurating the Accra-Tema railway lines.