Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe
The Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has assured the public that the Tema-Mpakadan Railway Line will become operational in the coming days.
Former President Akufo-Addo officially commissioned the 97-kilometer Tema-Mpakadan Railway Line—a transformative infrastructure project aimed at revolutionising Ghana’s transportation sector.
The commissioning ceremony, held at the Tema Harbour on November 22, 2024, marked the opening of Ghana’s first standard-gauge railway.
Valued at $447 million, the project was funded through a credit facility from the India Exim Bank.
Despite the official commissioning, the project has experienced delays, with some portions still incomplete.
Speaking on the state of the project during an interview on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Mr. Nikpe emphasised the importance of making the railway operational. However, he noted that the absence of terminals and ports has hindered the efficient movement of goods and passengers.
The Minister assured that engineers have been dispatched to resolve the remaining technical issues and that tracking has been completed to ensure the line’s readiness for operation.
According to Mr. Nikpe, although the original timeline targeted mid-April for operationalisation, technical setbacks caused a slight delay. He confirmed that the necessary corrections have now been made and the train is fully ready for service.
“It’s always a good idea to have a rail system that works and operates effectively. The previous government engaged contractors to build the rail between Tema and Mpakadan, which was largely completed but not fully finished because there was no terminal at Mpakadan. There’s no port at Mpakadan, and the rail line requires two ports and two terminals to handle both passenger and cargo services. That has been one of the main challenges with the Tema-Mpakadan Railway,” Mr. Nikpe explained.
He continued, “Since we took office, we’ve deployed our engineers—there were some issues along the rail line, but we’ve addressed them. We’ve visited the site, done the tracking, followed the rail lines to the end, and replaced all the removed tracks. So, you’ll be hearing from us very soon about the operationalisation. We initially aimed for the 14th of this month, but due to the technical setbacks, I asked the team to resolve them. The train is now fully fixed and ready for use.”
