Trains to begin transporting mining explosives after Appiatse disaster

Mr John-Peter Amewu, the Minister of Railway Development, says by the end of 2022, all railway lines in the Western part of the country will be under contracts for construction and servicing.

This is to make it possible to transport freights and passengers with ease, especially, along the sections where mining activities are more observed.

Mr Amewu who disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency while speaking about the Appiatse explosion said if railway lines were in place, companies could possibly have transported their explosives via the railway lines to prevent such unfortunate accidents.

On Thursday, January 20, 2022, a truck carrying explosives intended to be used for mining, exploded at Appiatse, in the Prestea Huni-Valley District of the Western region, killing 14 people and injuring 179.

“That is why the President is determined that we speed up the construction on the rails and the quantum of money invested in them is huge. We are spending almost billions on this railway infrastructure, and I think this is something His Excellency has done well on and we must all applaud it,” Mr Amewu added.

He said 500 million dollars had been invested in the Manso-Huni Valley section of the rail-line, 200 million dollars had been invested in the sub-section below Manso and 480 million dollars had been invested in the Tema-Mpakadan railway project, near Akosombo in the Eastern region.

On the Tema-Mpakan railway project, the Minister said it was almost 80 per cent complete and that the Ministry was anticipating its total completion by April this year.

The Ministry, he said had procured multiple-unit diesel coaches and was working with the Ministry of Transport to construct an ultra-modern terminal point and port at Mpakadan.