Six months after the official opening of the 97.7-kilometre Tema-Mpakadan railway operations on Friday, November 22, 2024, the much-publicised service remains inactive, dashing hopes of commuters for a more reliable alternative.

The standard gauge line, inaugurated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo with two Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) trains, was intended to improve both passenger and cargo movement along Ghana’s Eastern Corridor. But ongoing challenges have left the project dormant.

Constructed at a cost of US$447 million through a credit facility from the India Export-Import Bank, the Tema-Mpakadan line was billed as a step forward in Ghana’s efforts to revive its rail system.

It includes newly built stations at Adome, Kpone, Doryumu-Jokpanya-Kodiabe, Shai Hills, Afienya, Ashaiman, Tema Industrial Area, and Tema Port, as well as a 300-metre rail bridge across the Volta River near Senchi.

The project forms part of the Ghana–Burkina Faso interconnectivity initiative and is expected to link Tema Port to the inland port at Mpakadan.

From there, goods could be moved more easily to the north of Ghana and to landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger.

In a radio interview with Citi FM on Tuesday morning [May 20, 2025], Dr Frederick Appoh, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA), said the start of commercial operations had been held back by repeated incidents of theft and vandalism.

According to him, about 75 per cent of the damage has so far been repaired, as part of a mitigation effort being led by the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications.

Dr Appoh also cited the absence of private sector involvement as a major hurdle, saying the current state-run system has been inefficient and unable to generate enough revenue to maintain operations.

“In most parts of the world, the state owns the railway infrastructure while private companies run the trains,” he said, pointing out that countries such as Romania are exceptions to that model.

He said the GRDA is developing what he described as an “open access model” for the Tema-Mpakadan line, which will involve setting out track access charges and operational guidelines to attract private operators.

A market-sounding exercise is scheduled for June 2025 to court potential investors. 

According to Dr Appoh, full commercial operations could begin by June 20, 2026.

The delay has disappointed many residents, especially those in communities that had hoped the rail service would reduce road congestion, lower transport costs, and provide quicker access for goods and people.

Dr Appoh said the economic value of the project remains promising.

He referred to Kenya’s Nairobi-Mombasa railway as an example, noting that it generated thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly. 

He said a working railway system could support small businesses in areas such as welding and machine part servicing.

He admitted, though, that the lack of clear operating rules and procedures has discouraged private interest, something the GRDA is now trying to fix.

At the commissioning ceremony last year, President Akufo-Addo described the railway as a “lifeline” for local businesses and communities.

But an incident in April 2024, when a truck collided with a train during a test run, raised early concerns. 

The truck driver was later sentenced to six months in prison.