The train service between Nsawam and Accra has been non-functional for four years, contrary to the Finance Minister’s claim that rehabilitation work has been completed and the line is operational.
A recent visit by 3news.com’s Stanley Nii Blewu to the Accra-Nsawam corridor revealed that government-procured materials for the rail line’s rehabilitation are lying unused, and metal beams from the rail line have been removed and sold as scrap.
Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam said in his 2024 mid-year report that the Nsawam-Accra-Tema railway is finished and running.
To check this, a news team looked into the Accra-Nsawam section.
The train services on this route have been stopped for about four years to fix the rail lines because of frequent derailments.
In Adjen-Kotoku, a station on the route, the facilities have fallen into disrepair.
The metal beams from both the Accra-Takoradi and Accra-Nsawam lines have been removed and sold as scrap.
Residents, including Lukeman from Adjen-Kotoku, said someone came and took the beams, claiming to be authorized by the Minister for Railways.
The rail signals and cables have been cut, and the area around the rail lines has been taken over by private developers.
Although the government bought materials to fix the rail lines back in 2018, they have not been used.
Stephen Teye, a local resident, said some of the state materials are now being used for personal projects.
Stephen Teye stated, “The chippings are left unused here and are being stolen by some locals. Whenever I complain, they argue with me, so I’ve stopped.”
Some residents have built washrooms on the rail line, and development continues on the railway land.
Lukeman, a frequent user of the shuttle service, is disappointed by the Minister’s claim.
“It’s not true that the train is running. I’ve been here for eleven years, and we used the train daily for work, but it’s been out of service for about four years,” he said.
However, the Accra-Tema rail line is still operational.
