Encroachers on railway lands have been asked to vacate the area to allow the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) to carry out its planned transformation of the sector. Mr. Dan Markin, chairman of the GRDA, made the appeal through the Times in Accra, while throwing further light on expected developments in the rail sector after the recent inauguration of the Tema-Asaprochona railway line. At the ceremony, President J. E. Mills, also cut the sod for the extension of the railway line from the Tema harbour station to the Japan Motors area at Tema Community One. Mr. Markin said funding for that stretch of land had already been secured by the Finance Ministry and the necessary approval from the Public Procurement Agency received. He said the deadline for encroachers to move passed a year ago, and warned that the selfish interests of a few encroachers would not be allowed to impede the development that was essential for the majority. He said the development of the railway sector would open job opportunities for artisans and the unemployed, adding that "GRDA has requested for local participation in the construction works, and next year is going to be a year of employment". He said work on modern stations with electronic boards depicting departure and arrival times of trains would start next year, with the Accra - Tema service under keen supervision by rail inspectors. Mr. Markin said the fencing of some of the railway lines for human and rail security was underway, adding that people would no longer hang on moving trains as the new coaches had doors which closed when the trains were in motion. Mr. Marking said a modern Railway Institute would commence at Sekondi next year where artisans and staff of the Ghana Railway Company would be re-trained and re-tooled.