Railway Development: Encroachers won’t stop me - Joe Ghartey

Minister for Railways Development Joe Ghartey has warned the Ministry will not allow the activities of encroachers to frustrate their effort to put the railway sector back on track.

He said the Ministry is currently embarking on a readministration and the construction of new railway lines.

Speaking on Starr FM, the former deputy second deputy speaker of Parliament said the workers of the railway company are bent on improving the sector despite the challenges.

“It has not been an easy task getting the Railways Ministry to run. We have people who have caught the vision of the President and are ready to support the Ministry. There are people who have encroached railway lines and we will do our best to get them out of there to get work done. We are doing readministration and the construction of new railway lines,” he said.

He also disclosed that the company is yet to settle on the contractor to undertake the Accra-Tema to Kumasi railway project.

“We considered an Accra-Tema to Kumasi railway line. We shortlisted 14 companies to help do that work. The companies are to bring their final proposal. We will decide on which company gets to support the project. The deal that will be in the best interest of the country is what we will settle for.

“On the Volta River where some lines will pass, there are some estate developers who are considering building facilities along the line. Between Techiman & Tamale, there are some problems we’ll have to deal with before concluding on what we can do in that area”.

Government promised it will totally revamp the railway sector in two years. This will include the Western corridor rail line linking Ivory Coast.

Ghana is currently in talks with South Africa’s leading railway and ports company, Transnet International Holdings, to supply 110 wagons to the Ghana Railway Company Limited.

The supply would include 22 coaches, eight locomotives; six for freight to power the wagons, two for passenger service, and another two vans with first-class kitchens.