Fact check: Accra-Nsawam railway not in use contrary to Finance Minister’s claims

The train shuttling between Nsawam and Accra has been dysfunctional for four years.

This is contrary to the assertion by the Minister of Finance that rehabilitation works of the rail line have been completed and in use.

A visit by 3news.com’s Stanley Nii Blewu to the Accra-Nsawan corridor show that materials procured by government for the rehabilitation of the railway lie fallow while metal beams serving as rail line removed and sold as scraps.

The Minister of Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam presenting the 2024 mid-year fiscal policy review in Parliament indicated on page 95 of his speech that the Nsawam-Accra-Tema railway is completed and in use.

The news team decided to fact-check this statement. The Accra-Nsawan corridor was the news team’s focus.

Here, shuttle services were truncated about four years ago to enable rehabilitation of rail lines as the coaches frequently derail.

Adjen-Kotoku in the Ga West Municipality hosts one of the rail stations but facilities there over the years have deteriorated.

Two rail lines pass through the area; the Accra-Takoradi shuttle and Accra-Nsawam lane. Metal beams of the two rail lines affixed to wooden logs to grip the train while in motion have been removed.

Residents say the metals were sold as scraps. Lukeman a resident of Adjen-Kotoku said, “a man came here that he has been authorized by the Minister for Railways to cut the metal beams, so we couldn’t do anything.”

Meanwhile, the rail signal has been cut together with the cables. The buffer and rail lines have heavily been encroached upon by private developers.

In 2018, government procured several trips of chippings as part of materials to rehabilitate the rail line, but the materials have not been put to use.

Stephen Teye, a resident of Kotoku who now inhabits one of the apartments belonging to the Ghana Railway Authority complained about how some residents now use the state acquired materials for their private projects.

He said, “the chippings lie here fallow and being pilfered by some residents. When I complain, they quarrel with me anytime I complain so I have stopped”.

Some residents have also constructed washrooms on the rail line while further development of the railway lands continue.

Lukeman, a regular patron of the shuttle service is now disappointed upon hearing the Minister’s statement.

“It is false, if they say the train is functioning. I have been here for eleven years and the train was what we have been patronizing to work every day but for about four years, the shuttle service has stopped, he said.

However, the Accra-Tema rail line is active.

The post Fact check: Accra-Nsawam railway not in use contrary to Finance Minister’s claims first appeared on 3News.

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