The Minister for Railways Development and Member of Parliament for Hohoe Constituency, John-Peter Amewu has called on Ghanaians to support the government to deliver on its mandate in ensuring the needed railway infrastructure is put in place.
Mr. Amewu says the development of infrastructure and railway system will create jobs and facilitate trade and industrial development and in turn stimulate economic growth and poverty alleviation.
Speaking at a press briefing organized by the Ministry of Information, the minister reiterated that in order to ensure the improvement of the existing Railway infrastructures and also embark on an expansion, the railway sector has to be revived.
While hinting at measures being put in place to refurbish the new Railway Central Institute at Secondi-Takoradi, he said “in order to ensure Ghana develops adequate local capacity systems to manage and maintain the railway system which is currently under-going modernization, the new Railway Central Training Institute located at Sekondi in the Western Region has been refurbished through government funding and is providing training for Ghanaian youth in various engineering and degree programs.”
According to Mr. Amewu, “the school has been upgraded into a degree-awarding institution through a collaborative effort by the ministry of railway development and Gorge Grant University of Mines and Technology.”
He also revealed that Government is currently upgrading the old railway workshop complex at Sekondi to strengthen local capacity for the repairs and maintenance of the locomotives, wagons, coaches, and other railway equipment for the efficient delivery of the railway system.
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The sector Minister also highlighted some major railway infrastructural development undertaken by the government over the years which includes the rehabilitation of the existing narrow gate, western line from Kojokrom to Tarkwa through Nsuta.
This is to facilitate efficient haulage of manganese from the mines in Nsuta to the port of Takoradi and also to facilitate passenger services.
He mentioned that apart from the rehabilitation of the Takoradi-Nsuta narrow gate line, the standard narrow gate line is also being developed.
The construction of the 22 kilometers Kojokrom to Manso section of the western line which commenced in 2018 with funding by the government of Ghana is currently 72% complete. This project is expected to be fully completed and handed over by the contractor, AMANDI Holdings to the government in the second quarter of 2022. The development of the new standard gauge western line is also expected to continue in 2022, he disclosed.
Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
