Transport Minister has announced the opening of the Tema-Mpakadan railway.

Speaking during the Government Accountability Series press conference held at the Presidency in Accra, Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe announced that a test run of the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train, which was freshly procured from Poland and was involved in an accident in 2024, has been successfully carried out on the railway, which is set to be opened in October.

“The train that was involved in the accident during the test drive in 2024 has been repaired. A successful test run was carried out on September 16, “The 97km Tema to Mpakadan Railway Line, which is part of a multimodal system connecting Tema Port to Buipe Port via the Volta Lake, has been completed, and I am pleased to announce that the Tema–Mpakadan Railway will officially open on October 1,” he noted.

He continued that, the completion and soon to be opened railway forms part of government’s plans to broaden the rail infrastructure for goods and passenger services.

“The Government plans to modernise and expand the railway infrastructure for fleet and passenger services, creating jobs, boosting local economies and fostering trad” adding that “the viability of the rail line depends on fleet services but requires further investment in port infrastructure to facilitate the transfer of cargo between rail and the lake.”

Mr Nikpe said the Government had therefore taken steps to devolve the line for fleet operations.

Concerning the Western Railway Line, the Minister said the Western Railway Line spans 330km from Takoradi to Kumasi, with a branch line extension from Dunkwa to Awaso.

Mr Nikpe said construction on sections of the line, the 22km Kojokrom to Manso, 78km from Takoradi Port to Huni Valley, and 6km Adum to Kaase, had all been halted since December 2024 due to unpaid payment certificates by the administration.

Consequently, government is engaging stakeholders including the Trasnport Ministry, the Finance among others to ensure that all debts are paid to for the completion of projects by the contractors.

“The government, through the Ministry of Transport and Ghana Railway Development Authority, is engaging stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance and the Attorney General’s Office, to resolve the outstanding issues to enable the contractor to resume work,” the Minister stated.

As part of efforts to expedite the completion of the projects without any impediments, the Minister revealed that his outfit was partnering with the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Security Agencies and the Lands Commission to launch a campaign to remove encroachers from the railway right-of-way and perfect titles to railway lines nationwide.

Touching on Railway Labour Issues and Ghana Railway Company Limited Staff Salaries, Mr Nikpe said the Ghana Railway Company’s operations had declined over the years due to infrastructure deterioration, which had limited its capacity to generate sufficient revenue to cover its costs, including staff salaries.

“We are engaging with the Ministry of Finance and stakeholders to develop a sustainable solution going forward,” the Minister said.“I must add that we feel for the workers, and we have gotten close to resolving this issue and getting them their salaries.”

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has announced that five billion Ghana Cedis (GHS5bn) will be allocated annually for road maintenance.

According to him, one hundred and sixty-six (166) constituencies identified as having the country’s worst roads have been earmarked to receive ten kilometres of roads, drains and pavements annually over the next four years.

Speaking during the official launch of the government’s flagship infrastructure development initiative, the Big Push programme, at Afienya on Tuesday, September 16,President Mahama explained that this will provide each constituency with forty kilometres by the end of the period.

He added that the initiative will not only focus on new road construction but also ensure proper maintenance of existing ones.

“So every year the Ghana road fund is going to put aside about five billion cedis a year on road maintenance alone. Pothole patching, desilting, grass cutting, and all the things that keep the road in good shape," he said.

He added that while some communities may not find their roads listed under the Big Push, there is still a separate allocation for ongoing road works across the country.

He assured traditional rulers, farmers, and citizens that these funds will continue to improve roads that are not captured under the new initiative.

According to him, beginning next year and through to 2027, Ghanaians will notice a significant improvement in the quality of roads nationwide.

Parliament on July 30 unanimously endorsed the government’s proposal to divert all royalties that will be received from oil revenues and mineral royalties to support the implementation of the Big Push Programme.

This comes after the government requested Parliament approve committing funds to assist in the construction of certain road projects. Mr Isaac Adongo, the Chairman of the Parliament's Finance Committee, while presenting the report by the Budget and Finance joint committee to the plenary, said, “The Committee has carefully considered the Referral, and it is of the opinion that the request is in the right direction.”

The Committee also noted that Parliament had already approved the policy and the allocation to the “Big Push” Programme in the 2025 Budget Statement. Granting the request would enable the Government to enter into multi-year contracts to execute the road infrastructure projects under the Programme.

“The Committee accordingly recommends to the House to approve the Request for the multi-year commitments for the selected road projects under the “Big Push” Programme contained in the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana, in accordance with Section 33 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016, (Act 921),” Mr Adongo said.

The initiative aimed at improving road infrastructure across the country is estimated at GHC13.8 billion, and it is expected to be completed by 2028 with support from the country’s own financial resources. According to the 2025 budget, GH¢5.75 billion is owed by the Road Fund, with an allocation of GH¢2.81 billion programmed for road maintenance.

This represents a 155.5% increase from the 2024 allocation of GH¢1.1 billion, underscoring the government’s emphasis on sustaining Ghana’s road network. The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, on Wednesday, July 30, revealed that his ministry has undertaken studies and prepared comprehensive engineering interventions and cost estimates for road projects under the Big Push Programme.