Work progresses on Accra-Nsawam railway line
Work on the 40-kilometre (km) Accra-Nsawam railway line is progressing steadily. So far, most of the damaged rail tracks from Alajo through to Tesano, both suburbs of Accra, have been replaced.
When the Daily Graphic got to the site last Monday, it was observed that new slabs had been laid on the 1.5km stretch with the lines covered with gravels, a stage referred to as ballasting.
Ballasting is said to allow for effective alignment of the railway tracks.
Current state
In an interview, the Deputy Managing Director (MD) of the Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL), Dr Michael Annyetei Adjei, gave a positive outlook on the progress of work and stressed that the project would be completed before the end of the year.
Touching on the Alajo-Tesano site, Dr Adjei said all the necessary procedures had been adhered to such as ballasting of the tracks and lifting and parking to ensure that the lines were aligned accurately.
“What we did today was to lay new slabs and align them with gravels which serve as a cushion to ensure that the lines are in right order,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Adjei has expressed worry about recalcitrant squatters at designated places around the rail line who had refused to vacate the area.
He, however, said so far, about 70 per cent of the squatters had relocated to make way for the rehabilitation works.
“In spite of these challenges, significant progress has been made,” Dr Adjei stated.
Background
The Accra-Nsawam railway line has for many years served as a means of transportation for residents of Nsawam who travel to the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra.
Activities on the line ceased in October 2017 when a Tema-Accra-bound train derailed at Tesano.
Rehabilitation works commenced shortly after setbacks such as filth, encroachment, litigations and general issues of indiscipline were addressed.
The GRCL is in charge of the construction which was awarded to it by the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA).
About 320 people are working on the line. They consist of 305 permanent workers and 15 supervisors.