The Vision of Government is to develop a modern, robust and integrated railway system as well as its associated infrastructure to serve as a catalyst to propel the transformation of the economy and make Ghana’s rail transport system, the lead in Africa.

However, according to the Deputy Minister for Railway Development, Hon. Kwaku Asante-Boateng this vision seemed to be stalled as a result of activities of unscrupulous individuals and syndicates of social miscreants who are burnt on stealing railway tracks and sell them to scrap dealers to enrich themselves and their families.

Accompanied by a delegation from the Ministry and the Media, the Hon. Deputy Minister on Thursday, 26^th August, 2021 inspected piles of railway tracks retrieved by the police from suspected criminals at the Kumasi Locomotive Workshop, Ejisu, Konongo, Juaso in the Ashanti Region as well as Nkawkaw and Anyinam in the Eastern Region.  It came to light that over eight (8) kilometers of railway tracks had been stolen on sections of the railway lines in the Ashanti and Eastern Region. At Anyinam, the team also inspected a stolen, but retrieved metal bridge that was constructed across River Birim to enable the trains cross from one side of the river to the other.

Hon. Asante-Boateng further explained that the activities of these individuals would not only hinder the progress of railway projects, but would also cause financial loss to the state. He emphasized that it would cost the nation five million dollars to construct one (1) kilometer of railway line, and per calculation, what had been stolen would cost government millions of dollars to reconstruct.

He was of the view that this nefarious activities should be stopped and perpetrators brought to book as the Ministry and by extension the Government had developed a Railway Master plan to help transform the railway sector into a modern robust one. He tasked the Media to sensitize the general public on the perpetuation of this menace and further appealed to the general public to report any suspicious activities that they see along the lines to the nearest police station as government has not contracted any individual or group to clear the railway lines.

The Hon. Deputy Minister commended the Police for doing a yeoman’s job by arresting ten (10) culprits out of which four (4) are serving different jail sentences, and the remaining six (6) standing trials.

The Police sounded a stern caution to the public that they would clamp down on perpetrators, while assuring the general public of police protection especially to individuals who should provide information to the police of such criminal activities.

The emergency line to be contacted is:

ASP Charles Adaba (Rtd)

Security Consultant, MoRD

Mob. No. - 0244648588