Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has bemoaned the continuous destruction of railway tracks through encroachment and illegal mining activities in the Western Region.
During a working visit to the Ghana Railways Development Authority, the sector minister announced the reclamation of all encroached railway lands while outlining measures to improve the sector.
Ghana has been grappling to develop its railway sector, which has the potential to improve transportation when enhanced.
Currently, shuttle service between Accra and Nsawam has been suspended following the removal of all the rail lines and lands belonging to the Ghana Railways Development Authority encroached.
Accra-Tema shuttle service, which is currently active, has also proven to be inefficient, realising minimal revenue returns. This has affected salary payment of sector workers for five months.
Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe said, ” the company is not working, so they are not able to generate revenue to pay their workers for the past five months.”
He said the Ministry of Finance is being engaged to intervene.
He expressed worry about the rapid spate of illegal mining activities near rail tracks in the western region, adding that the situation has led to the suspension of shuttle services there.
Contractors working on rail lines in the region have also abandoned the site.
According to him, a joint operation to reclaim all encroached Railways lands is earnestly pursued while efforts are in place to enhance patronage of the Tema-Mpakadan shuttle services.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railways Development Authority, Dr. Frederick Appoh, hinted of interventions to revive the sector.
He said, ” the Tema-Mpakadan rail project is 99 percent complete. It is to transport passengers and goods from the port city to Mpakadan for onward ferry to Buipe in the savannah region.”
“This project cost about five hundred million dollars, so we must use it,” he added.
Later, the sector minister engaged staff of the Ghana Railways Development Authority and charged them to work to improve the fortunes of the sector.
