Many railway networks across the country have deteriorated due to some challenges the sector has experienced over time.

Speaking at a workshop on the new railway master plan, the Deputy Minister for Railways Development, Kwaku Asante Boateng mentioned that some of the challenges include, the lack of proper maintenance, occasioned by inadequate funds.

He explained that the sector has been competing with other critical needs of government hence the reason many railway initiatives aimed at reducing pressure on the road network have stalled.

“We have competing needs as a nation. We have the education sector competing with health, competing with the agric sector, and when it comes to prioritising our needs and we have health challenges, we have educational challenges with the construction of rail is pushed to the background because it's not immediate.”

According to him, projects are frequently abandoned due to the remote importance of rail construction in the country, where its direct impact is not felt.

However, the same cannot be said for our critical sectors such as health and education, which require additional funding because they cannot be deferred.

“So whenever government is constraint financially, construction of rail or such a capital-intensive venture are relegated to the background,” he added.