GHANA RAIL
Transforming Ghana’s railway infrastructure
In many developing economies, growth relies on cross- border trade aided by robust logistics infrastructure. flow’s Clarissa Dann looks at a remarkable collaboration between international banks and export credit agencies to help Ghana improve its rail network and remove freight and passengers from the roads
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ailway networks first arrived in sub- Saharan Africa during the second half of the 19th century, with the main purpose of transporting natural resources from mines to ports – often with little benefit to the communities and would-be passengers along the way. Built during the British colonial period of 1874 to 1956, the Ghanaian railways that remain today, and are still operational, come to barely 13% of the approximately 947km of railways that existed at independence in 1957. These railways were narrow-gauge, single-track lines with rolling stock that had deteriorated through lack of maintenance. More than a century after it was built, Ghana’s small but economically vital rail network is undergoing major development as part of the Ghana Railway Master Plan, first announced in 2013 and refined in 2020.
Ghana’s Railway Master Plan The Master Plan now comprises 3,800km of rail network to be constructed over a period of 15 years, between 2020 and 2035, making it easier, cheaper and safer to travel. The revamped rail network provides a cleaner alternative to road-based travel and freight transport in private cars and trucks. In 2017, the Ministry of Railway
Development created the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) to focus solely on the new government’s revamp of the railway sector. The existing infrastructure owned by the GRDA consisted of three lines: the Western, Eastern and Central Lines. One of the reasons why the rehabilitation of
The completion of the line will boost economic activities
Accra Central Station, start of the line to Kumasi
Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance for the Republic of Ghana
the Western Line – which stretched 340km from the port of Takoradi to Kumasi – was prioritised was because of the rich natural resources available in this region, such as cocoa, bauxite and manganese. Takoradi is the main export port, and as such the Western Line is crucial to further developing Ghana’s export industry – but currently only 66km is operational. However, according to the Master Plan, the main purpose of Ghana’s rail project is to reduce high-density road traffic congestion by removing freight and passengers from its roads. Rising levels of freight and passengers have caused levels of congestion that compromise public safety and workforce productivity, as well as cause environmental degradation. Shorter commuting times, providing better access to markets and
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