OUR FALLEN RAILWAY SECTOR.

Almost on a monthly basis in recent times, fuel prices in Ghana have seen a steady rise resulting in uncontrollable transport fares and unbearable cost of living.

Another means of transport in Ghana is the rail service. It provides a fast, cheap and efficient means of transport while employing many people and generating revenue for national development. Train commuters will prefer the train service to motor vehicles in the light of the fuel price hikes and heavy vehicular traffic.

In times past, the railway sector was very vibrant and the train was the hub of economic activities. Now, the sector is redundant and in an appalling state due to poor maintenance.

       

An abandon train at the maintenance shop (Photo credit, GRCL) 

Following the grumbles and the pandemonium over unreasonable transport fares recently when the train provides a subsidized service, NAFTI News decided to delve into the status of some key railway stations like the Nsawam, the Accra central, Taifa and the Dome train stations in Accra.

The dead end of the Nsawam railway line now turned into a business centre

We discovered that the train service has been inactive in the aforementioned areas. As a result, the coaches awaiting maintenance at the Accra Central train station have been encroached upon by squatters as shelter when we visited. 

A redundant rail track now an abode for squatters -Accra Central

According to one of the squatters who gave his name as Ekow said, they have nowhere to sleep so beneath the coaches is their shelter.

At the Dome train station, the situation was almost the same. The office assigned to the workers of the train services is illegally occupied by an unknown resident who claims he only hangs around to clean the place.

Traders are one of the beneficiaries of the train services. At the Dome market, some traders who used to bring fresh food stuff from the hinterlands using the train laments over the heavy toll fuel increment and the absence of the train is taking on their finances.

According to one of the traders, Auntie Fosua, goods sold at GHC 200 is now 300.

"We really need the train back. We had a better experience with the train service than cars”

                                                  Trader lamenting over the suspension of the train

At the Nsawam train station, the Chief Superintendent of tracks, Mr. Paul Boateng says, now the railway sector is dead. In the past the train was used for transporting Bauxite, Timber, Awaso Manganese etc and was generating huge sums of money from both freight and passenger services for developmental projects..

      “We were making about GHC 40.000 every month from tickets sold to the Nsawam-Accra train station. But now Ghana is losing all that amount when the train stopped working here,”

He also added that many workers have been laid off and others going on voluntary retirement.

Speaking to NAFTI news, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Nana Ama Opoku says, the authorities are aware of the dormancy and the devastated nature of the sector and are trying their best to revamp it.  

Nonetheless, like the clock at the Accra Central train station, which is dead in its tracks and no longer tell the time, the Ghana Railway Development Authority is unable to tell when the trains will resume work at the Nsawam-Accra line.

 

Final Production  -  Grace Nana Sika Beng

NAFTI news.