The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA), Dr Frederick Appoh, has commended President John Dramani Mahama, describing him as the only president in Ghana’s history to invest in Class 56 diesel-electric locomotives.
He stated that the President has demonstrated sufficient commitment towards the total transformation of the railway sector.
Speaking in a recent interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Dr Appoh pointed out that the locomotives were selected based on rigorous technical assessments, including their classification, intended line utilisation, and the operational constraints of the Tema–Mpakadan railway line.
He assured Ghanaians of the expected benefits of the GHC38.7 million worth of locomotives and wagons, describing them as a significant boost to Ghana’s rail transport system.
In his view, the locomotives will improve the efficiency of freight and passenger services, enhance the movement of goods along the Tema–Mpakadan corridor, and support efforts to reduce pressure on the country’s road network.
He told host Kwabena Agyapong that the acquisition is part of state efforts to establish a reliable freight rail service capable of transporting containers and other cargo from the Tema Port to inland destinations.
He added that the acquisition will significantly strengthen national railway operations by increasing cargo-carrying capacity, whilst seamlessly complementing passenger services on the corridor.
“Thanks to the commitment of President John Dramani Mahama and the Transport Minister, Ghana is now ready to operate container cargo train operations. Test runs have already been completed using two locomotives and a wagon, with each wagon capable of carrying a 40-foot container. We have also signed an off-take agreement to transport containers from Tema Port to the industrial area. We expect to move about 300 containers a day initially, with plans to increase capacity to 600 as more wagons are added. Operations are expected to commence in the first week of August, creating jobs as the service expands. This is part of the gradual implementation of President Mahama’s 24-hour economy vision. Tema Port is heavily congested, and rail transport is the most efficient way to decongest it,” Dr Frederick Appoh stated.
He stated that: “If you have a President who has the vision and a Minister demonstrating leadership with a management that supports you, you will make a significant impact in the railway sector. The sector has recovered from the major challenges and we’ve managed to do things in a way that even with the fiscal or resource constraints, we’ve been efficient in our work.”
He went on to state that with the investments they receive, they can make a greater impact, assuring Ghanaians that the country’s railway sector will soon rival others around the world.
With his extensive background in engineering and technical expertise within the rail industry, Dr Appoh aims to provide the requisite leadership to position Ghanaians as trailblazers in the sector.
He reiterated: “President John Dramani Mahama is the first President in the Fourth Republic in Ghana to bring container trains and wagons. I am not talking about general cargo. We had wagons that transported timber, but I am talking about container trains. He is the first person to do that. These are box wagons that transport containers. Let anyone debate this and I will prove to them that what we had in the past only transported timber, but the current ones transport containers.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
