GHANA: President Nana Akufo-Addo has formally opened the 97·7 km Tema – Mpakadan standard gauge railway. Built by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd for US$447m, the line connects Tema’s port with a transfer quay on Lake Volta.
Speaking at the ceremony on November 22, President Akufo-Addo described the line as ‘a vital component of Ghana’s first multimodal transport system, to drive the economic growth of our nation’.
S Paramasivan, Managing Director of Afcons, said he was ‘proud to have executed the largest railway project in Ghana. This project will play a pivotal role in revamping and modernising the country’s railway infrastructure. The construction of a bridge over Volta River is a classic example of extreme engineering.’ The project was financed through India Exim Bank credit.
Passenger services are due to begin before the end of November, using the two Pesa DMUs delivered in April, in advance of a general election on December 7.
