Ghana’s transport system is heavily dominated by road transport. Despite calls for comprehensive development of the sector, road transport remains by far the most popular and developed.

Although the country had a considerable amount of railway infrastructure post-independence, that mode of transport has not been too popular as railway lines and properties belonging to the Railways Ministry have been largely neglected.

As a result of this neglect, many of such infrastructure has been encroached upon or taken over by squatters. Given the renewed drive by the government to resuscitate railway transport, these encroachments are deeply worrying.

Judging by how long the neglect for some of these properties has taken, it will be difficult for the Ministry to lay claim to its properties without creating a humanitarian crisis of a sort. Also, in other instances where full-blown communities have sprung up on railway lands, reclamation would be immensely problematic.

Nevertheless, the Ministry has indicated its readiness to take back what rightfully belongs to it via a carefully-through plan. Much as this paper supports an aggressive development of the railway sector, it believes that the Ministry must show tact in dealing with encroachers.

The Ministry’s own neglect and lack of activity have created a problem and now will not be the best time to go about tearing through properties without requisite engagement with the affected people.

This paper would like to call on the Ministry, to as a matter of urgency, notify the encroachers about its desire to reclaim their properties. Such ample notice will allow these affected people to have little complaints when the Ministry decides to descend heavily on them.

The development of viable railway transport is so crucial that the Railways Ministry knows that it cannot allow encroachers to derail its vision.