Rehabilitation Of Western Railway Lines To Begin This Month

The President would cut the sod for work to begin on the Western Region Railway line on January 27 this year, Madam Betty Busumtwi-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister said at the weekend. She said the rehabilitation project was taking off at the right time especially when the government was implementing the Better Ghana Agenda to improve the living conditions of the people. Madam Busumtwi-Sam was speaking at the inauguration of a 20-member Western Railway Rehabilitation Steering Committee at Takoradi. The Committee is under the chairmanship of Mrs Victoria Addy, a member of the Council of State and a Board member of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA). Madam Bosumtwi-Sam urged members of the committee to give out their best to ensure the success of the project. Mr Dan Markin, Chairman of the GRDA, who inaugurated the committee, said the Authority was a regulatory body independent of the Ghana Railway Company Limited. He said the Authority was mandated to license private operators to ensure efficient railway services. Mr Markin said the rehabilitation of the Western Railway line was a priority project aimed at reviving railway services. He said a “New Standard Gauge line” would be constructed to replace the rehabilitated line. Mr Markin urged the committee to supervise the implementation of the feasibility studies on the rehabilitation of the existing lines and assist the project manager to execute his mandate on the project. Mr Mike Hammah, Outgoing Minister of Transport, spoke of the economic benefits of railways adding that it was necessary to have rail transport to support economic growth. He used the occasion to express government’s condolence to families of the three school children who were knocked down by a truck while crossing the road after school at Takoradi killing them on the spot. Mr Hammah said carnage on the road was a social problem and a developmental challenge that must be tackled. He said the government was taking steps to strengthen existing laws and regulations to reduce carnage on roads. Mr Hammah said there were plans to establish Road Transport Authority and Traffic Police Force to assist to enforce regulations.