Rehabilitation of Eastern and Western Rail line to start soon

Koforidua, Mar 23, GNA- Rehabilitation of the Eastern and Central rail lines will soon begin at the cost of 2 billion dollars, Mrs. Peace Aku Attivor, the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, has disclosed. Similarly, government had invested 25 million dollars in the Western rail lines mainly to help the mining industry.

Mrs. Attivor who was inspecting the encroached lands along the railway lines in Koforidua, said the African Rail Company, a foreign investor funded by Goldman Sachs, a UK based financial institution, will undertake the rehabilitation of the Eastern and Western lines.

She said all illegal structures built on the parcels of land belonging to the Ghana Railways Corporation are to be demolished for rehabilitation to begin on the country's railways.

According to the Deputy Minister, the level of encroachment on the railways was appalling but said force would not be used during the relocation of those on the properties.

She said the current state of the rail lines through out the country was in a sorry state and if "the ministry did not act quickly to put it in shape, potential investors would be scared away".

The Deputy Minister reiterated government's commitment to revamping the railway system to enhance economic activities as well as to decongest road transport in the country.

She revealed that in line with that commitment, the Accra-Tema rail line had been rehabilitated and by July 2010, it would be operational adding, government had procured two coaches with a capacity of 600 passengers ready for the take-off.

New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Alex Asamoah, said the decongestion exercise would begin after the Easter celebrations and therefore appealed to the affected people to cooperate with the Municipal Assembly to ensure a peaceful exercise.

Among the wooden and concrete structures built along the rail lines were Charismatic churches, private houses, Workshops of various trades, containers, public toilets and bath houses.