According to the President, the move will involve the construction of new railway lines and the extension of some existing lines to facilitate movement of passengers and goods.

Mr. Akufo Addo made the disclosure when he presented the State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday, February 8, 2018.

In his view, a modern and reliable network of roads, railway and airport will transform the country.

“We are in the final stages of agreeing with a significant investor, the terms of a Build, Operate & Transfer (BOT) agreement from Takoradi to Kumasi which will be presented to Parliament this year. There is already a contractor onsite for the construction of the Kojokrom to Menso section of the Takoradi to Kumasi railway,” the President told Legislators.

The development of the rail infrastructure has been one of the critical issues on the agenda of the NPP administration.

The persistent issues of unpaid arrears have led to the halt in operations intermittently.

But the sector Minister, Joe Ghartey has commenced processes to settle all outstanding debts and attract new investors for the sector.

Parliament approves GH¢200m tax waiver for railway lines

The President’s announcement also comes at a time that Parliament has approved about 200 million cedis in tax waivers for the construction of an 84 kilometer multi-modal railway line between Tema and Akosombo.

When completed, the railway project will facilitate movement from Tema to Buipe through Akosombo.

Citi Business News is also learning that the rail line comprises rail stations between Tema and Akosombo and the construction of railway heads at Tema and Akosombo.

Meanwhile, the President maintains that the government is engaging consultants on the proposed railway line between Kumasi and Paga.

“The process has also commenced to select a suitable partner for the construction of the eastern line from Accra to Tema to Kumasi; we aim to break grounds this year. A central spine from Kumasi to Paga is also receiving attention and consultants have been engaged to advise government on the best model for the development of the line,” he added.

Ghana-Burkina Faso rail line to complete by 2018 3^rd quarter

Commenting on the progress of work on the Ghana Burkina Faso railway line, Nana Akufo Addo was confident of completing the process by the end of the year.

“With reference to the Ghana Burkina Faso rail interconnectivity, the two countries are in earnest discussions as to the realisation of the project. There are fortnightly meetings either in Accra or Ouagadougou and we are confident that the deliberations will conclude and actual construction will commence by the third quarter of the year,” he stressed.

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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Organised with military precision, the project which reportedly took place over the weekend, was completed in the southern Fujian Province.

Seven trains and 23 diggers were used in the huge construction project at the Nanlong Railway Station in the south China city of Longyan, the Xianhua News Agency reported.

Workers were split into seven units to take on seven simultaneous tasks, according to Zhan Daosong, a deputy manager at China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group, the communist country’s main railroad construction company.

The high-speed Nanlong Railway line is under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Around 152 miles long, it will provide a main transport link between the south-east of the country and central China.

The railway is designed to support trains travelling at speeds of up to 124 mph.

The project is one of series of impressive infrastructure projects completed by China in recent years.

Two years ago, the world’s largest radio telescope began searching for signals from stars and galaxies and, perhaps, extraterrestrial life in the remote Pingtang county in southwest China’s Guizhou province.

Measuring 500 metres in diameter, the radio telescope is nestled in a natural basin within a stunning landscape of lush green karst formations.

It took five years and $£129m to complete and surpasses that of the 300-meter Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, a dish used in research on stars that led to a Nobel Prize.

The country has also completed the Tianhuangping hydroelectric project, which is the biggest in Asia and plays a vital role in supplying power to eastern China and The Guangzhou Opera House, one of its three biggest theatres was opened in 2009.

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Source: Independent

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About five passengers on board the train got injured and were rushed to the hospital after the accident. Four of them were treated and discharged, with the other still on admission.

[contextly_sidebar id=”iQ4U6DJuxjmMQoDHgdIxTEizYgJT43FI”]Citi Business News checks reveal that, about 600 commuters who use rail transport from the main railway station in Kantamanto in Accra, were on Monday forced to use road transport after the train derailed at Tesano.

The train normally leaves Tema at 6:30am through Asaprochona in Sakumono, then to Baatsona, Shangrila , Dzowulu, Achimota, Odo at the Kwame Nkrumah Cirlce, then to Kantamanto in Accra.

Commuters along these routes who are mostly traders and business owners, are already lamenting the impact as the situation is expected to last for about two days.

The Area Manager of the Ghana Railway Company Limited at the Kantamanto station, Abraham Kingsley Woode, told Citi Business News the development will adversely affect commuters.

“Yes, I think it will be a challenge, but we are working to get it back on the lines. It may take about two days. I don’t think it is a major difficulty getting it back,” he assured.

Meanwhile, some passengers told Citi Business News they still prefer rail transport despite the accident, due to the cost and the limited time it takes to reach their destinations.

3-member c’ttee to investigate Tesano train derailment

Meanwhile, the Minister for Railways Development, Joe Ghartey, has constituted a 3-member committee to look into circumstances that led to the derailment of an Accra-bound train from Tema on Monday morning.

The committee, which is being chaired by the Deputy Railways Minister, Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng, is to complete work and present their report in 10 days, that is November 6th, 2017.

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By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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The committee, which is being chaired by the Deputy Railways Minister, Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng, is to complete work and present their report in 10 days, that is November 6th, 2017.

[contextly_sidebar id=”bGs7bTa8z09FknCYBlQtV4AoEJ5EYCfY”]Among other things, the committee is expected to ascertain the cause of the accident and make recommendations on how to avert any such happenings in the future, and also when the rail line should be reopened.

Joe Ghartey, in a statement copied to citifmonline.com, said the Ministry will bear all the medical bills of persons who were injured in the accident.

He noted that, maintenance was being carried out on the Accra-Nsawam rain line which has not been in use since  September.

“The Accra-Nsawam Line has been closed since September, and government has released money for the rehabilitation of the Line. In the past three weeks, permanent workers of the Ghana Railways Company Limited have been doing routine maintenance on the Accra-Nsawam Line. The team has been sent to Juaso for a special exercise and they are returning to the Accra-Nsawam Line next week,” he said.

Joe Ghartey added that, the committee, which has Lord Quansah (Director, Regulations and Assurance, Ghana Railways Development Authority) and Michael Adjei Anyetei (Deputy Managing Director) as members, are to hold private and public sittings on the incident.

The state of Ghana’s rail lines/coaches

The Accra-Nsawam shuttle serves thousands of commuters to and from the capital on a daily basis, making at least four trips, but is largely considered a death trap.

It is the most convenient mode of commuting for most people living in Accra and Nsawam, especially, traders who convey farm produce and processed food from Nsawam to Accra each day.

But the state of the country’s rail tracks, and even the trains themselves, put passengers at risk.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He said these areas will serve as terminals for the Western and Eastern rail lines respectively.

[contextly_sidebar id=”swPbuZVSgW4JpBAM9LmOraEEFLphjEYW”]Joe Ghartey was speaking to Citi News after a meeting with Railway workers in the Kumasi area.

The Minister explained that, the decision to make the two towns major cargo terminals were because “Adum has been compromised in terms of land, and so it may not be able to create the kind of development we want to create…When you go to Kaase, there is enough space there, in Ejisu too the Chief intends to give us some lands.”

The Minister added that that, both towns were environmentally viable for the project and had thriving businesses.

“Kaase has great potential for development, there are cocoa sheds, and along the cocoa sheds are rail lines already. BOST has tanks there, there are major warehouses, cement etc, so Kaase is a natural choice for developing a major cargo terminal on the Western line. On the Eastern line, when you get to Boankra, there’s a port, but after Boankra at Ejisu, we are in talks with the Ejisumanhene, we intend to get some land and also develop Ejisu into a major cargo terminal. Ejisu already is a bustling business area, and we are told by our developers that it is not a difficult thing to do.”

Addressing issues concerning the Kumasi – Paga Railway line, Joe Ghartey said “we advertised for people to do a feasibility study, it has been shortlisted to three (3), it has gone to the central tender review board and they have passed some comments and have brought it back to the Ministry. The Ministry has worked on those comments and has given it back to them. We hope that very soon, we will choose one. Out of 29, they narrowed it down to three.”

He noted that the Ministry is committed to ensuring that, the railway system is revamped.

He however said, “we cannot sacrifice the law on the back of expediency or speed. We are slow, but we are sure. We have done a lot of background works and we have prepared ourselves for now, and we are ready to unleash what we have prepared unto the public, and I am praying we will get good results.”

The railway sector some years ago was left dormant. While some trains in Accra are still operating, trains in the Kumasi Train area are not in good shape, with railway tracks buried in the sand. Some traders and squatters have taken over parts of the Kumasi Train Station for their businesses and habitation.

President Akufo-Addo in his maiden State of the Nation Address announced the government’s commitment to revamp the railway sector.

The Takoradi-Paga railway line, Tema-Akosombo railway, the Eastern railway line from Tema to Kumasi via Boankra Inland Port, sub-urban railway lines between Accra-Amasaman-Nsawam and Kumasi-Ejisu, are some of the other rail lines government intends to work on.

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By : Loretta Timah/citifmonline.com

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According to the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) the amount is needed to procure new coaches, refurbish existing lines and construct additional 4,007.6 kilometers of railway lines across the country.

The Chief Executive Officer of GRDA, Mr. Richard Diedong Dombo, who disclosed this to the Graphic Business newspaper, said the authority has decided to market the railway sector master plan to attract investors under a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) arrangement.

[contextly_sidebar id=”U9ULsJ6vqzrZBgmgZEr1Z933S339rQq4″]“The nation does not have the resources to undertake this master plan in one stretch. As a country, we cannot prioritize just the railway sector as there are other priorities such as health, education and agricultural so the railway sector gets just a slice of the national resources and this means we have to think outside the box, which is government funding,” he said.

The Akufo-Addo government promised to revamp the rail sector and also created a new ministry dedicated to ensuring that the promised is fulfilled.

Mr. Dombo said although his outfit had not requested for interests they have so far received proposals from more than 230 investors comprising of individuals, groups, and banks across the globe.

About the master plan

The railway master plan which was completed in 2013, proposes a new railway network comprising of 4,007.6 kilometers across the country.

The master plan is expected to be completed in six phases, with the first phase being the rehabilitation of existing rail lines.

The second phase will deal with the extension of the central corridor, whilst the third phase will tackle the extension of the transversal links.

While the fourth phase will look at extending the trans-ECOWAS line, the fifth phase will aim at extending the western line. The sixth phase is also expected to help extend the eastern line.

Western rail line will be completed by 2020 – Joe Ghartey

In a related development, the Minister for Railways Development, Joe Ghartey, has assured that before the end of President Akufo-Addo’s mandate in 2020, the rehabilitation and construction of the Western rail line would be completed.

“We have already started the design of the Western Rail line from Kojokrom to Tarkwa. The transportation of bauxite from Awaso has been incorporated into the design,” he noted at a durbar of Chiefs and people at Bibiani on Monday.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Minister for Railways Development revealed that over 200 companies so far, from countries like the United States of America, Switzerland, Germany, China and Ghana, have shown interest in the development of Ghana’s railways, and have submitted proposals to this effect.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cNhX3WXsn8L1m3wITdDrpsXPljtw0XO8″]The selection of the companies who will undertake the rehabilitation and construction of the Western rail line, Hon. Joe Ghartey added, will be done in accordance with the tenets of competitive bidding to ensure value-for-money.

“We have already started the design of the Western Rail line from Kojokrom to Tarkwa. The transportation of bauxite from Awaso has been incorporated into the design,” he noted at a durbar of Chiefs and people at Bibiani held in honour of the President Akufo-Addo, at the commencement of his tour of the Western Region.

The Minister for Railways noted that one of the tragedies of Ghana’s post-colonial development was the neglect of the country’s railways.

“One of the things our country should have focused on was the development of its railway. Railways bring jobs, development, and uplifts communities. Ghana’s railway system has collapsed,” he said.

The Minister continued, “President Akufo-Addo, through the establishment of the Ministry of Railways Development, has indicated that he wants to revive the railway sector and has put persons from the Western Region to take charge of it. We will not disappoint. We will surely deliver”.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This is according to a deputy Railways Development Minister, Kwaku Agyenim Boateng.

He said the government will resort to what it calls “multiple financing approaches” to achieve its goal of revamping the rail sector.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XD0bc66JJRxLGJtD5abjigxLlGcqPWvO”]In June this year, the government announced that it will need $7 billion dollars to revamp the sector but different groups including the minority in Parliament said the government was being over-ambitious.

“You are dealing with investors who want to invest. It could be Public Private Partnership, Government of Ghana, or Build Operate and Transfer. Rail investments are huge, so you have to be very innovative in funding such projects. We have received over 202 Letters of Interests. They want to engage the ministry in discussing funding arrangements for the various projects,” he said.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in its election 2016 manifesto said improving the rail industry was one of its key infrastructural plans.

It said it would construct an Eastern and Central rail line to improve transportation of goods between the north and the south.

The Eastern Railway line will “cover a distance of 330km and starts from Accra to Kumasi with a branch line from Achimota to Tema.”

The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta while presenting the 2017 budget statement said “when the line becomes operational, it will decongest the port and facilitate the movement of cargo and passengers to Kumasi and its environs. In 2017, the feasibility studies will be finalized and invite proposals from the private sector.”

On the Central Rail line, he said, he said it will “cover a distance of 200km and spans from Kotoku on the Eastern Line to Huni Valley on the Western Line. It will have a branch line from Achiase to Kade and we plan to undertake feasibility study on the line and extend it to Kibi.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Speaking at a state dinner in Burkina Faso held in his honour by President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President Akufo Addo said infrastructural development is one of his topmost priorities.

According to him, “it would be, for me, perhaps, the highlight of my presidency if, indeed, I was able, together with you (President Kaboré), to launch the beginning of the Accra-Ouagadougou railway project.”

His commitment to this project, he told the Burkinabe leader, is evidenced by the fact that “right at the beginning of my government, I decided to establish a special Ministry for Railways Development in Ghana. In fact, the Minister himself is here to give testimony to the seriousness with which we look at this project.”

“I would be very disappointed if the two sides are unable to find a solution to how we can get the Accra-Ouagadougou railway going”.

President Akufo-Addo made the remark during his two day tour of Burkina Faso.

In a joint communiqué issued at the end of the visit the two leaders resolved that the two countries reinforce their co-operation in the areas of railway transport, road transport, agriculture, water, security, trade, works and housing and energy.

Both sides re-affirmed the crucial need to rapidly establish the railway interconnection project.

They also agreed to reactivate the Joint Expert Committee to examine the various feasibility studies already undertaken, and define the modalities and conditions of the selection of a technical and financial partner for the project.

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By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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His visit to the country will see him hold talks with his counterpart on the country on issues surrounding infrastructure especially transportation between the two countries.

At a State Dinner held in his honour, and in responding to the remarks made by His Excellency Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the most important of these initiatives “are the regional projects in the area of infrastructure, and especially transportation.”

According to President Akufo-Addo, “it would be, for me, perhaps, the highlight of my presidency if, indeed, I was able, together with you (President Kaboré), to launch the beginning of the Accra-Ouagadougou railway project.”

His commitment to this project, he told the Burkinabe leader, is evidenced by the fact that “right at the beginning of my government, I decided to establish a special Ministry for Railways Development in Ghana. In fact, the Minister himself is here to give testimony to the seriousness with which we look at this project.

“I would be very disappointed if the two sides are unable to find a solution to how we can get the Accra-Ouagadougou railway going”.

Akufo-Addo stated that “the concern we have in Ghana, that you know about, is about the control of the water resources of our two countries”, adding that these “are matters that we are going to be able to address.”

The President was referring to the yearly opening of the Bagre Dam spillway, which causes flooding in the 3 Northern Regions of Ghana, resulting in the destruction of lives, farmlands, livestock, and property.

The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Kofi Adda, MP; the Minister for Works and Housing, Hon. Atta Akyea, MP, and the Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, all accompanied the President on his visit to Burkina Faso.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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