Hundreds of commuters travelling from Tema into Accra were left frustrated and stranded on Thursday morning after a passenger train derailed near Avenor following a collision with two stray cattle that had wandered onto the railway tracks.

The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m., just minutes after the four-coach train departed Avenor Station towards Odaw. What began as another routine morning commute quickly descended into confusion and panic as the train slammed into the animals, derailing portions of the coaches and abruptly bringing the journey to a halt.

Passengers, many of them workers and traders heading into the capital, were forced to disembark and scramble for alternative transport amid mounting traffic and delays. Though no injuries were recorded, the shock of the incident left many visibly shaken.

The two cattle died instantly on impact.

Eyewitnesses said the animals suddenly appeared on the tracks, giving the train operator little time to react. Residents gathered near the scene moments after the derailment, watching in disbelief as emergency teams and railway engineers moved in to assess the damage.

“I have never seen anything like this before in my life,” said Alidu Shaibu, an eyewitness who was near the tracks when the incident happened.

“The driver really tried to save the situation. If he had not acted quickly, many people could have died today,” he added.

According to him, the operator managed to slow the train significantly after the collision, preventing what could have become a major disaster in one of the capital’s busiest transport corridors.

Railway officials later confirmed that although the train itself did not suffer severe structural

Area Civil Engineer for the Ghana Railway Company Limited, Daniel Asiedu, described the derailment as unfortunate and raised fresh concerns about increasing human and animal activities within railway enclaves.

“Our train was running from Tema to Accra early this morning around 7:40 a.m. when we received a report that the train had hit a huge cow, causing the derailment,” he said.

Mr Asiedu warned that continued encroachment on railway lands and the unchecked movement of animals along the tracks remain a major threat to public safety and rail operations.

“We may need more security support to help clear people and activities that are destroying railway infrastructure and putting lives at risk,” he stated.

Technical officers and engineers were immediately deployed to the scene to begin emergency repair works, with officials expressing optimism that rail services would resume before the close of day.

“We are going to fix everything today. By this evening, the train should be able to run from here to Tema and back again,” Mr Asiedu assured.

Meanwhile, no individual had come forward by Thursday afternoon to claim ownership of the cattle, as investigations into the incident continued.

For many passengers stranded under the morning sun and forced back onto Accra’s congested roads, the derailment was more than a transport disruption. It was yet another reminder of the fragile state of railway safety and the growing dangers posed by unchecked activity along Ghana’s rail lines.