The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Dr Fredrick Appoh, has assured that the Tema-Mpakadan railway line will begin operations soon, following major repair works and safety checks.

Speaking on The Pulse on JoyNews on Wednesday, May 14, Dr Appoh stressed that the two trains designated for the route are in good condition and ready for service.

“We are working tirelessly to expand the railway infrastructure and unlock economically viable areas within the railway operations. Tema to Mpakadan remains one of the key infrastructure assets of the country,” he said.

He dismissed rumours that the delay in starting the service was due to fuel shortages, saying the trains are “operable” and “ready to go”.

Dr Appoh explained that a track inspection carried out on 15 March uncovered serious challenges that needed urgent attention before the line could be made operational.

• Read also: Inactive trains not due to fuel shortage – Railways Authority CEO

"We encountered a lot of issues.Buffer stock was almost non-existent taken off by scrap dealers. Most of the nuts and screws had been illegally removed from the tracks. We are in the process of rectifying all these issues," he noted.

He revealed that the damage was largely caused by illegal encroachment, theft of materials, and vandalism of vital rail components. The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) mitigation action plan was subsequently initiated to address the situation.

“At the moment, I can confidently say that 75% of the ongoing GIFEC mitigation action plan is almost complete. We have replaced all of them. So the idea of commencement of service is a good thing, but as Chief Executive of the service, my objective is to ensure that we are going to operate a safe railway line,” Dr Appoh stated.

He added that final work is ongoing to restore the line to full safety standards, and the public can expect service to start soon.

“I have tasked my team we are almost there, 75% complete in terms of the rectification work. And Tema to Mpakadan will commence very soon. We are going to commence the service between Tema and Adormi,” he assured.