THE SHORTAGE of railway personnel at Konongo Odumasi is causing the workers big problems at the railway station because the railway line from Konongo to Kumasi is in a very deplorable state.
The beams lying across the line are rotting away and if prompt action is not taken, one day there will be derailment.
Another serious threat is that whenever it rains erosion brings more sand to cover the railway line, which is very dangerous unless the workers go and clear the sand from the line, otherwise again, derailment cannot be ruled out.
Speaking to Chronicle in an interview at the Konongo railway station last weekend, Nana Kwame Ata, Railways Permanent Secretary, disclosed that the staff strength has reduced at the station so there is now more work than the personnel can handle
He said the regular staff strength at the railway station is 10, excluding the supervisor, but as at now only five remain at post.
According to Nana Ata, only recently some of their personnel had been transferred to Tarkwa without replacement.
This, he said, cannot help them to work efficiently because they are supposed to work about four miles daily, but since they are few they are not able to cover their areas in good time so if there is a rotten beam it will take time to discover it.
He, therefore, appealed to the NPP government to take a keen interest in railway lines in Ghana, especially the line from Konongo to Kumasi.
He further appealed to the government that, with regard to the planned inland port at Boankra, without a train service for the conveyance of goods from Accra to Boankra, the inland port will not be viable.
Therefore, he said, the authority concerned should revamp the railway services in Ghana in order to uplift its image and enhance their economic worth.
He stated that currently trains convey heavy loads like timber from Konongo to Kumasi almost every day, so if the lines are not in good condition it can cause derailment, another disaster the nation cannot afford.
Nana Ata, therefore, advised that lasting solutions be found to the problem.
He stressed that the railway service is very important in the developed countries, like USA, Britain, Germany, etc.
Nana Ata made a passionate appeal to the government, saying that if railway lines in the country can be maintained, then the heavy loads will pass through the railway system and help reduce the many lorry accidents on the Kumasi-Accra road.
