The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, Former President John Dramani Mahama, has weighed in on the recent incident involving one of the newly acquired modern trains from Poland.

The Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) collided with a parked Hyundai truck during a test run on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line in the Asuogyaman District.

In a post shared on X on Friday, April 19, 2024, Mahama raised several concerns, suggesting negligence on the part of those responsible for conducting the test run.

He questioned why the newly acquired train was being tested on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, which was also new, without first ensuring that the tracks were properly checked.

“How can you conduct a test run on a new railway line without a track inspection?” he quizzed.

The former president also asked: “How long had the vehicle been on the track before the test run?”

He added that if he were the president, he would hold the people responsible for the incident accountable.

“If I were president, I'd be asking some serious questions,” he added.

Background:

The Ministry of Railways Development, in a press statement issued on April 18, 2024, confirmed reports that one of the modern trains had been involved in a crash.

It said that the DMU hit a stationary vehicle during the test run, adding that no one was injured.

"At approximately 12:10 pm on Thursday, April 18, 2024, while conducting the test, an incident took place around Km76+100.

The DMU, upon approaching the curve at Km76+100, encountered a stationary vehicle stationed right across the rail track. Despite the immediate application of the emergency braking system, the train was unable to come to a complete stop before colliding with the vehicle," the statement said.

The ministry added, "The DMU involved has been moved to the workshop for further assessment and necessary repairs."

Following the incident, proponents of the government and ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), including the Minister for Railway Development, John-Peter Amewu, have made allegations that the incident was orchestrated to sabotage the deployment of the train.