Ghana is making strides in railway sector – President

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By
Gifty Amofa, GNA

Accra, Feb.20, GNA –
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday said Ghana is making strides
in the railway sector to facilitate the transportation of people and goods.

“I am glad to report
that we are m0aking significant and verifiable progress in the railways
sector….”

“The Tema to Accra
line has been operational for two years, and the Accra to Nsawam line would
soon be. The Takoradi to Tarkwa line was inaugurated few weeks ago, and is
proving to be very popular and being enthusiastically patronised.”

Delivering the 2020
State of the Nation Address in Parliament, President Akufo-Addo said there were
other suburban lines that would soon be brought into the everyday lives of the
citizenry and mentioned the Tema to Ouagadougou or the Accra to Paga lines.

“What started as the
Tema to Paga railway line has become the Ghana to Burkina Railway
Interconnectivity Project. Approximately eight hundred (800) kilometers of this
rail line will be in Ghana, and two hundred (200) kilometers in Burkina
Faso,” he said.

He said Cabinet had
approved the final route for this line, which was approximately one hundred
(100) kilometres, Tema to Akwamu Mpakadan line and is the first section of the
Tema to Ouagadougou rail line.

At the environs of
Juapong, a branch line from Tema to Mpakadan would continue through Hohoe,
Nkwanta, Dambai, Yendi, Tamale, Walewale, Nalerigu, Sheini, Bolgatanga and then
to Paga as the remaining seven hundred (700) kilometers of the Tema to
Ouagadougou Railway line, the President said.

Consultants of the
project had submitted their final report, and the two Governments have begun
the final stage of procurement for the strategic investor.

The President hinted
that the strategic investor would be chosen this year and the preparation for
construction had already commenced with the choice of the final route, the
acquisition of land, and the right of way to start immediately. 

The contractors had
assured the Government that the Tema to Mpakadan line, which included a three
hundred (300) metre rail bridge over the Volta River, would be completed in
August.

He said work was
ongoing to develop the railway network in other parts of the country, citing
that there would be activity on the Eastern Line in 2020 and construction would
commence on the Kumasi to Nyinahin via Aduadin rail line.

“In addition to the
inter-city and regional railway lines, Government is committed to developing
suburban rail lines and inner-city light rail to ease the oppressive traffic
situation within our cities,” he said. 

President Akufo-Addo
said the Western Line was receiving attention; thus the Kojokrom to Manso
section, approximately 22 kilometre section of the line, with a 350 metre
viaduct being developed.

The contractor has
been asked to speed up work by developing a new standard gauge line within the
Port of Takoradi, to convert the Takoradi to Kojokrom narrow gauge line into a
standard gauge line, and also continue the development of the new standard
gauge line from Manso to Huni Valley.

He said the Kumasi
Section of the Western Line would also receive attention this year, since
government had decided to develop the Western Line from Takoradi towards Kumasi
and from Kumasi towards Takoradi, adding that the development of the Kumasi to
Aduabin section of the Western Line would commence this year. 

GNA