Six months after the high-profile launch of the 97.7-kilometre Tema-Mpakadan railway line, the service remains non-operational—leaving many commuters frustrated and casting doubt on one of Ghana’s flagship infrastructure projects.
The standard gauge rail line, which was officially commissioned on November 22, 2024, by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was heralded as a transformative development for passenger and freight transport along the Eastern Corridor. Equipped with two Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains, the line was expected to enhance movement between the Tema Port and inland destinations.
Despite these ambitions, the rail service has yet to commence full commercial operations. The US$447 million project—funded through a credit facility from the India Export-Import Bank—includes newly constructed stations at Adome, Kpone, Doryumu-Jokpanya-Kodiabe, Shai Hills, Afienya, Ashaiman, Tema Industrial Area, and Tema Port, as well as a 300-metre rail bridge spanning the Volta River near Senchi.
Designed as a key component of the Ghana–Burkina Faso railway integration initiative, the line aims to connect the port of Tema to an inland terminal at Mpakadan, improving cargo movement to northern Ghana and landlocked nations including Burkina Faso and Niger.
However, speaking on Citi FM on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, acting CEO of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA), Dr Frederick Appoh, attributed the prolonged delay to widespread theft and vandalism along the route.
“About 75 percent of the damage caused has been rectified,” he said, noting that repair efforts are ongoing with support from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC).
Dr Appoh also acknowledged that the lack of private sector involvement has severely hampered progress. He argued that the current government-run model is unsustainable and insufficient for long-term operation and maintenance.
“Globally, most railway systems are publicly owned but operated by private firms,” he noted, suggesting that Ghana needs to adopt a similar model. “Romania is one of the few exceptions where the state also operates the trains.”
To encourage private participation, the GRDA is working on an “open access model” that will define track usage fees and operational regulations. A market consultation exercise is expected to take place in June 2025 to engage prospective investors and operators.
If the roadmap proceeds as planned, full-scale commercial services could launch by June 20, 2026.
For residents in affected communities, the delay has been disappointing. Many had hoped the railway would ease traffic, lower transportation costs, and facilitate quicker delivery of goods and movement of people.
Dr Appoh remains optimistic, citing the example of Kenya’s Nairobi-Mombasa railway, which has created thousands of jobs and boosted ancillary industries. He believes Ghana’s rail sector could stimulate similar growth in services such as welding, maintenance, and spare parts supply.
He conceded, however, that the absence of established guidelines for railway operations has made the sector unattractive to private investors—something his agency is now focused on addressing.
At last year’s inauguration, Former President Akufo-Addo described the Tema-Mpakadan line as a “lifeline” for local communities and businesses. But concerns were raised early on when, during a test run in April 2024, a truck collided with one of the trains. The driver was subsequently jailed for six months.
