The Ghana Railways Company Limited has confirmed the return train from Tarkwa to Takoradi on Thursday experienced a minor challenge at Nsuta in the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipality of the Western Region.

The company, however, says the challenge was resolved for the train to proceed safely back to Takoradi minutes after the incident.

“When we got to Nsuta the coach carrying goods experienced a technical hitch and so we had to stop. After on-the-spot examination, the engineers agreed that the coach be left behind,” Michael Kobina Addison, the Chief Civil Engineer for Ghana Railways Company Limited, told 3news.com.

Mr Kobina Addison added that immediately after the advice, the cargo coach was separated from the passenger side for the train to continue back to Takoradi.

A video has emerged showing that one of the coaches for the Takoradi to Tarkwa passenger service has derailed at Nsuta.

Mr. Kobina Addison dismissed reports that passengers had to be rushed to safety.

“The affected coach was a cargo one. There were no passengers on that section. So it is not true that people had to be rushed to safety.”

Issues of safety

He explained that there is a technical team on board each trip to immediately address any issues that would arise.

“There are also vacuums for break. So in the event of any derailment that particular coach will break off. When that happens it serves as a natural push on the other coaches and so the driver will notice it and stop.”

Responding to the complaint of different experience on the track from Takoradi to Kojokrom as against Kojokrom to Tarkwa, Mr. Kobina Addison explained that it had to do with how old both tracks are.

“The Takoradi to Kojokrom rail lines were built and completed in 2016. So they are very new and it is also a dual gauge. But the track from Kojokrom to Tarkwa is a narrow gauge and are more than 100 years old. They have completed two life cycles. The life cycle of a track is around 50 years.”

He indicated that it is the same tracks that they use to haul manganese from Nsuta.

“And so because of that, we carry out routine maintenance works on them. And I must add that before the commencement of this free passenger service we had several successful test runs on the track.”

He stated that where the incident happened had steel sleepers.

“As I speak the coach has been cleared from the track. This morning our train set off for Tarkwa and so far we have had no challenge.”