Technical issues on the Accra–Tema shuttle service have compelled the Ghana Railway Company Limited to suspend operations temporarily.

In a press release by the Ghana Railway Company Limited on Tuesday, August 12, the Authority announced that operations will resume on Monday, August 18. The Authority has, however, apologized to its customers for any inconvenience caused.

“The General Public is hereby informed that due to some technical hitches, the running of the Accra-Tema shuttle service has been suspended temporarily from today, Tuesday, 12th August, to Friday, 15th August, 2025.

Full service will resume on Monday, 18th August, 2025, any inconvenience this might have caused our cherished Passengers/Customers is deeply regrated thank you,” parts of the statement read.

The new development will distort the travel schedules of regular commuters on the Accra–Tema route. The shuttle service came to a halt in October 2017 when the train carrying about 100 passengers on board from Tema to Accra came off the tracks at the Alajo station. The Accra-Tema train shuttle service was relaunched in 2019, to revamp the rail industry after a prolonged halt in train service.

Ghana’s rail network has suffered years of underinvestment, incomplete projects, and infrastructure decay. Late 2024, the Tema–Mpakadan railway line, a 97.6 km line to connect the Port of Tema to Mpakadan near Akosombo, was inaugurated. The then Akufo-Addo government imported twelve new trains from Poland to boost Ghana’s transport sector. These trains were designated for the Tema-Mpakadan railway line.

However, one of the newly imported trains from Poland got into an accident on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line due to an abandoned truck. Then Chief Executive Officer for the Railways Development Authority, Yaw Owusu, explained that "The train has not officially been handed over to the government yet. It is still under the liability of the manufacturer (from Poland)."

As such, it indicated that the government will not bear the cost incurred in the repair of the train involved in an accident during a test run on Thursday.  The Ghana Police Service apprehended the driver of a Hyundai truck with registration number GS 9018-20 for his alleged role in the accident.

The truck driver reportedly became stranded on the railway track while delivering cement blocks, as the vehicle was unable to pass through an underpass beneath the bridge.

A video of one of the newly imported trains from Poland that got into an accident on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line during its test run surfaced on social media.

The footage captured moments before the unfortunate incident after a driver abandoned the vehicle on the railway line, resulting in a collision with the train. In the video, the train moved at a relatively steady pace. It is not at top speed.

This video got netizens questioning how the train driver could not view the 'abandoned' truck on the railway line before ramming into it. "This couldn't stop upon seeing a truck about 100m away? How can you tell me this story?" a user wrote.

Some netizens also requested videos of the exact moment when the collision occurred if the test run was being recorded. "Drones were working but we didn’t see the particular part of the collision. Eiii this country," another user wrote.

However, as of mid-2025, the line remains non-operational. During an inspection in March this year, Ghana Railway Authority (GRA) officials, led by Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr. Frederick Apoh, discovered that thieves had removed critical bolts and nuts securing the rails to concrete beams, particularly at the 61-kilometre mark.

The railway project faces a major setback as rampant bolt and nut theft threatens the safety and timely launch of the shuttle service which was scheduled for April. The GRA has raised alarm over acts of vandalism along the 97-kilometre stretch, which have left sections of the railway tracks dangerously unstable.

Additionally, essential buffer stops, metal structures designed to regulate train speed, had been stolen, likely for scrap, further compromising the railway’s structural integrity. Dr. Apoh expressed grave concerns over the safety implications, stating, “We must ensure that all infractions observed from kilometre one to sixty-five are resolved before the Tema-Mpakadan service begins. Otherwise, the likelihood of an accident is high.”

Beyond vandalism, encroachment by squatters along the railway corridor has exacerbated the situation. Areas such as Tema, Ashaiman, Tulaku, and Afienya have seen unauthorized settlements dangerously close to the railway tracks.

A woman in Ashaiman-Sackey was struck and killed by a passing train, underscoring the urgent need to clear these encroachments. Despite these pressing challenges, Dr. Apoh acknowledged that removing illegal settlers before the railway’s launch remains unlikely.

“As part of our medium- to long-term strategy, we plan to collaborate with several agencies, including the Tema Development Company, Tema Metropolitan Assembly, and the Ghana Police Service, to seek cabinet approval for the removal of illegal settlers. However, I do not anticipate this will happen before the maiden service in April,” he explained.

Unauthorized access routes have also emerged along the railway, causing sand to accumulate and clog drainage systems, posing additional risks to smooth operations. During the inspection, a man was found digging a trench in the railway’s buffer zone, directly above buried signal cables. He was cautioned and ordered to refill the trench immediately.

Despite these setbacks, the Tema-Mpakadan shuttle service is expected to improve transportation, reduce travel time, and boost economic activity along the corridor. According to the Acting Chief Executive Officer, if vandalism and encroachment are not swiftly addressed, the long-term sustainability of the railway project could be jeopardized.

The country’s rail network is managed by the Ghana Railway Company under the Ministry of Railways Development. It began its operations in 1896 to oversee the transportation of goods and passengers in the southern part of the country.

The company operates a network with a route length of 947 kilometers comprising the Western line (Takoradi, Dunkwa, Awaso and Kumasi), Central line (Huni valley-Kotoku) and Eastern line (Accra, Tema-Kumasi), with a total track length of 1,300 kilometers.The network has five major branch lines, three of which are on the Western line and one each on the Eastern and Central lines. With the exception of the 30-kilometer Takoradi-Manso section, which is double-tracked to meet increased traffic density.