Nsawam-Accra railway ready by end of January – Richard Dombo

The Accra-Nsawam train service will be ready and working by the end of January 2019.

That’s according to the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Richard Dombo.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, he said after all the test runs are done on the railway line, the trains will be up and running.

“We are looking at January, sometime this month. I think they are almost there in terms of infrastructure, now the next bit would be the test runs, they just finished the test run for Tema and announced they were done. My sister company can run the Accra-Nsawam route, once the test run is done,” he said.
A statement issued by Mr John Essel, the Acting Managing Director of the Company on Friday, January 4th, said it completed a test run of its locomotive from Accra to Nsawam on January 1.

The statement also cited additional works done on the Kotoku-Nsawam section of the line to strengthen the structural integrity of the track, dealing with encroachment and removal of unauthorised level crossings as reasons behind the delay.

The rail managers however rendered an apology to the general public for their inability to commence the Accra – Nsawam shuttle service before the end of 2018 as planned.

However, the Ghana Railway Company Limited is still running free services for rail commuters which started from January 8 and would end on January 19 on the Tema-Accra line as part of its 120th Anniversary Celebration.

The charge after January 19 would be GH¢5.00 flat rate per passenger.

Addressing the media on December 19, last year, President Akufo-Addo, stated that the railway sector, which was virtually non-existent before his administration took office on January 7, 2017, is being resurrected.

The President explained that rehabilitation work on the fifty-six (56) kilometre narrow gauge line from Kojokrom to Tarkwa through Nsuta is nearing completion, and will lead to the restoration of passenger rail services from Tarkwa to Takoradi for the first time since 2007.

“The freight service from the manganese mine at Nsuta to Takoradi is in operation, and the ongoing rehabilitation has also led to a spectacular reduction in the number of derailments and incidents that occur on the line,” he added.