Trains will be back to transform the economy – Joe Ghartey

Minister for Railway Development, Hon. Joe Ghartey has said that for Ghana’s economy to transform into a first-class economy there is the urgent need to revolutionize the country’s railway sector and ensure that the trains are back running on the various rail networks.

He said it was not for nothing that in the advanced countries, there is an efficient rail transport that has helped to reduce heavy traffic congestion to an appreciable level.

Ghartey strongly believes that time is money and therefore, there is the need to develop Ghana’s railway sector and ensure that time spent in travelling from one community to another is reduced.

“If we bring back our trains, this economy of Ghana that we live in, will be transformed to a first world. Look at the heavy traffic situation in Accra. One of my friends recently visited Ethiopia and he said that country has been transformed because of the metro train. Look at the number of hours people spend when travelling from Accra to Kumasi. If we have an efficient rail transport in place, people will spend just two and half hours from Accra to Kumasi.”

If there is a rail network from Accra-Tamale-Paga-Ouagadougou – can you imagine what it will do to Ghana?” he said.

Interacting with Akwasi Nsiah on Kapasa 102.5 FM, Wednesday, Hon. Ghartey said it was through an efficient rail transport services that most countries in the world have developed, noting that Ghana aware of this development is seriously pursuing that path.

“I am telling you and it is not prophesied, that any African country that does not join the train revolution in 20 years time will lag behind.

It was through train services that made Kojokrom in my constituency what it is today,” he noted.