Rehab of Sekondi/Takoradi railway lines almost complete
Rehabilitation work on the Sekondi/Takoradi and Takoradi Port railway lines is more than 85 per cent complete, the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) has said.
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The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, will ease traffic congestion in the metropolis.
The GRDA is expected to take delivery of two new diesel engines to move the coaches very soon.
The old dilapidated stations and administration blocks in Takoradi, Kojokrom and Sekondi have all been reconstructed into new modern passenger terminals.
Four halts
For easy commuting, there are four halts at Sekondi, Ketan, Bakado and Essaman as well as the main terminal near New Takoradi for use.
During a visit to the stations, it was observed that new lines linking the port of Takoradi to Sekondi-rail station to Kojokrom were almost complete for use.
The stations and the halts come with ticketing and modern communication and signalling systems.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Chief Executive Officer of the GRDA, Mr Alidu A. Sadique, said aside from passenger services, two container terminals at the Sekondi Station and former Prime Wood would be created for easy evacuation of goods from the port of Takoradi using rail.
The main train station at the railway headquarters in Takoradi
Commitment
“The discovery of oil in commercial quantities has brought a lot of activities in the metropolis. The revival of the rail lines will ensure that traffic from the port is largely reduced by moving the containers from the port using the lines,” he said.
He said vehicular traffic would also be reduced since a lot of commuters would be using the railway coaches.
The authority, Mr Sadique said, was committed to ensuring a workable rail system as it had the potential to contribute to the development of the country.