Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    World
    Home / World / Africa

    Ghana bets on rejuvenated railways for growth

    China Daily | Updated: 2019-03-11 10:06
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    A staff member and passengers ride on Ghana's railway system on the first train reconnecting Accra to Tema, 25 kilometers east of the country's capital city. [Photo/Agencies]

    ACCRA, Ghana - As Ghana's urban landscape gently slides by the train window, Shaibu Amoah swells with pride.

    The 37-year-old has been helping to renovate railway lines in Accra since last June, clearing debris and shoveling ballast in the hot sun.

    When the short line from Accra to the port of Tema finally reopened in January, Amoah was on the first public run.

    "I am feeling proud of my work because I am helping my country to move ahead," he said.

    The head of the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Richard Diedong Dombo, said the transport sector was crucial for the country's development, pointing to railways as historic "engines of growth".

    Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo established the Ministry of Railways Development in 2017 to restore existing lines dating back to British colonial rule - and build new ones.

    Ghana's railway network comprises three lines with some branch extensions, totaling 940 kilometers of track.

    Under a 2013 Master Plan, the country aims to have 4,000 kilometers of track by 2048.

    It would connect Accra with Sekondi-Takoradi in the southwest to the central city of Kumasi, and to Tamale in the north, and link Tema to Burkina Faso, Ghana's northern neighbor.

    The total cost is estimated at about $21.5 billion.

    That's a big ask for any country, let alone a developing country in sub-Saharan Africa, and the authorities said they are cautiously taking a phased approach to the project, based on funding.

    Diedong said "a mixed bag" of financing, including local sources, was helping with rehabilitation work, but foreign firms were likelier to build new lines, which are far more costly.

    No contracts have been awarded for new lines, but Chinese companies seem more interested in investing in infrastructure in Ghana than those in the West, he said.

    However, some people also worry about if the government is afford to carry the construction on.

    Train driver supervisor Kofi Asare, 52, is a more than 20-year veteran of Ghana's railways.

    While he was pleased with the renewed focus on railways, he was concerned about whether the support would be sustained.

    In his long experience, he said, he had seen an "off and on" approach to the railways. During "off" periods, this often meant months without pay.

    "It's a matter of sustainability - they have done it, so are they going to continue to maintain it?" he asked.

    He and others who have dedicated their working lives to the railways are now just hoping for the best.

    "We are still putting our faith high, our hope and expectations. We are expecting things will go well," he said.

    AFP

    Most Viewed in 24 Hours
    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    亚洲不卡中文字幕无码| 成年无码av片完整版 | 日韩人妻无码一区二区三区| 亚洲性无码一区二区三区| 久久久久久国产精品无码下载 | 亚洲AV永久无码精品水牛影视 | 日韩人妻无码一区二区三区久久 | 久久亚洲中文字幕精品一区四| 亚洲av永久无码制服河南实里 | 亚洲午夜无码片在线观看影院猛| 无码成人精品区在线观看| 无码乱码观看精品久久 | 涩涩色中文综合亚洲| 亚洲va无码va在线va天堂| 色多多国产中文字幕在线| 中文人妻av高清一区二区| 亚洲免费无码在线| 久久久久久无码国产精品中文字幕| 无码人妻精品一区二区三区久久久| 中文字幕精品久久久久人妻| 中文字幕在线免费 | 最近2018中文字幕在线高清下载| 亚洲无码视频在线| 无码色AV一二区在线播放| 免费无码AV一区二区| 播放亚洲男人永久无码天堂| 精品三级AV无码一区| 精品久久无码中文字幕| 国产白丝无码免费视频| 国产AV无码专区亚洲AV毛网站 | JLZZJLZZ亚洲乱熟无码| 免费A级毛片无码视频| 久久精品国产亚洲AV无码麻豆| 日韩精品无码熟人妻视频| 无码视频一区二区三区在线观看| 色综合久久久久无码专区| 色欲A∨无码蜜臀AV免费播| 久久久久久久亚洲Av无码| a最新无码国产在线视频| 午夜精品久久久久久久无码| 中文字幕色婷婷在线视频|