The Minister for Railway Development, John-Peter Amewu has disclosed that he will continue to pursue appropriate policies for the railway industry which would lead to the realization of the vision to build a modern rail network across the country.

He therefore, urged management and staff of the Ministry of Railway Development to support government policies with strategies and programmes that would bring Ghana’s once vibrant rail transport industry back to active service for the benefit of the people of Ghana.

The Minister made these remarks during his maiden meeting with management and staff of the Ministry on Wednesday in Accra to formally interact with them, while discussing the future of the Ministry and the Railway Sector as a whole.

According to him, it was the vision of President Nana Akufo-Addo to leave a legacy not only for the present but also for future generations to enjoy as was done by late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah with the construction of the Akosombo dam, stressing that although there were a lot of flagship programmes being implemented by the current administration, the expected impact of the railway to the socio-economic development of Ghana is enormous.

The Minister commended his predecessor, Joe Ghartey and his deputies for the excellent job done to lay a solid foundation for the development of the railway industry, which has over the years been neglected.

 “A lot of investment has been made towards revamping the railway sector and therefore per the evidence on the ground, the leadership and staff of the sector deserve lots of commendations for the progress made”

“What I think is outstanding now is the motivating factor or the financial resources to accelerate the slow pace of development” he said.

Touching on some pertinent issues affecting the railway industry, the staff mentioned land acquisition and encroachment on railway lands as some of the major challenges which have caused delays in the progress of some on-going railway projects

Mr. Amewu gave the assurance that regular management meetings would be held to come out with appropriate solutions to address issues bothering the ministry which are hindering the construction of the railway lines.

The Acting Chief Director at the ministry, Desmond Boateng and the entire management team, assured the minister of their unwavering support, commitment and cooperation to achieve the mandate of the ministry.