Rehabilitation of Western Rail Line to cost $500m

The Minister of Transport, Ms Dzifa Ativor, has given the assurance that procurement for the commencement of work on the $500 million Western Rail Line project of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC) is currently at the final stages.

The procurement stage, which includes shopping for a suitable contractor and a consultant, as well as proper documentation, will ensure easy access to funds for the rail sector improvement component of the Chinese loan.

She said after the procurement and the contract had been awarded, the contactor would have 48 months to complete the project which links the Takoradi Port to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and a branch line to Nsuta and Awaso.

Speaking after a tour of the facility in the Western Region, the minister said there was a huge interest in the mineral deposits of the country which had attracted investors in the manufacturing sector to consider value addition, to create jobs and wealth.

However, she said, lack of an effective rail system to transport those minerals was discouraging the investor community.

Ms Ativor said due to the bulky nature of minerals, investors were more comfortable with the rail transport system, which they considered a much cheaper and safer way to transport bulk cargo.

“Because it is cheaper to transport by rail, investors are currently on the sideline and the government is committed to the rehabilitation of the lines to attract them into the country,” she said.

She said the country’s mineral deposits were still enormous and the only effective way to harness them was to put in place a modern rail transport system to convey the minerals to the premises of the investors and the ports for onward shipment.

Ms Ativor gave an assurance that when the contract was awarded, the government would monitor the project from day one until its completion within the stipulated period.

“The project will not only satisfy the needs of investors, local and international, but also create jobs and bring back the vibrancy of the GRC and, most importantly, eliminate the hauling of minerals by road,” she said.

By Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu & Andrew Tetteh/Daily Graphic/Ghana