The Government of Ghana has commissioned the construction of the 97km Tema-Mpakadan Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line, which will run from Tema Port in the country’s southeast to Mpakadan in the north.
It is the first SGR line in the country and will provide an intermodal transport route through the Accra Metropolitan Area, the Eastern Region and the Volta Region, crossing the Volta River via a 300-metre bridge, said to be Africa’s first.
India’s Afcons Infrastructure is a 112 km long single-track line that began construction in 2017 and includes eight stations, four major bridges, 11 road overpasses, 24 road underpasses, railway overhead facilities, freight yards and maintenance depots.
The Tema-Mpakadan project was financed through a USD 447 million credit facility from the Export-Import Bank of India.
The government also took delivery of two new diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains for passenger service on this line, funded by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) credit facility.
The Tema-Mpakadan line will link Tema Port to the Lake Volta transport network, opening up the lake to transport fuel, cement, containerized cargo and agricultural products from the northern Afram Plain enclave to ports and other destinations. The line is also expected to relieve pressure on Ghana’s road network, particularly the Eastern Corridor.
The Tema-Mpakadan line will form the first phase of the country’s Eastern Corridor rail development, and is planned to connect Burkina Faso and other landlocked countries Mali and Niger. In the next phase, the line will continue north, crossing some 701 kilometers through Nkwanta, Tendi and Tamale to Paga on the border with Burkina Faso.
The railway will run 320 kilometers, connecting with Dakola in Burkina Faso at Paga and ending in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou.
The Tema-Mpakadan Railway is part of Ghana’s Railway Master Plan 2020-35, which aims to rehabilitate or construct a 3,844km rail network connecting the country’s 16 regional capitals and all industrial cities and hubs by 2035.
The master plan envisions rail transportation to facilitate the movement of goods such as bauxite, manganese, and cocoa to various ports and processing hubs, and transport passengers to various cities in the country.
The master plan is being implemented in phases, region by region, with an estimated overall investment cost of USD 30 billion.
Source: Ghana Ministry of Railways, 2020
The government is currently working on constructing a 102-kilometre line linking Takoradi Port to Huni Valley, including upgrading the existing rail infrastructure to standard gauge.
Ghana-based Amandi Investment is executing the project, which is being financed by the government as well as Sweden’s EKN with an estimated EUR 523 million (US$548.6 million) export credit facility and a five-year commercial loan of approximately EUR 75.6 million. The overall plan is expected to be completed by May 2026.
The government is also funding the construction of a new 6km SGR line from Kase on the Western Railway North to Adumu in Kumasi. Work on the scheme is being carried out locally by David Walter Limited and aims to address congestion issues in the central business district, particularly between Adum and Kase.
In September 2020, the government signed a contract with Afcons Infrastructure for the 65km SGR line from Eduadin to Obuasi with an investment of US$419 million. The contract period is set at 36 months and the project is said to be awaiting financial completion.
Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing between the government and Export-Import Bank of India regarding a US$265.2 million loan for the development of a new SGR line that will run 43 kilometers from Accra to Nsawam as part of the Eastern Railway. India’s KEC International is gearing up to implement this plan.
The authorities are also looking to secure funding for other sections of the Eastern Railway, namely those running from Nsawam to Kyabi via Bosso and from Bosso to Kumasi, as well as the Ejisu-Eduadin and Achimota-Tema branch lines.
Source: Ghana Ministry of Railways, 2020
Top photo: Tema-Mpakadan Railway (Source: Ghana Railway Development Authority)
