GHANA: The first of two Pesa diesel multiple-units for the 1 435 mm gauge Tema – Mpakadan railway was delivered to the port of Tema in early April.
The two-car DMU from the manufacturer’s Link family had been taken by road from the assembly plant in Bydgoszcz to Hamburg, from where it was shipped in February. After a period of trials, the train is due to be formally commissioned by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo in June.
CEO of Ghana Railway Development Authority Yaw Owusu said that in the future the country would ride on the back on an effective rail transport system that would boost economic growth.
The second unit is due to be shipped in May, and a further 10 may follow later if the Authority confirms an additional order. Fitted with diesel engines that meet Stage V emission standards, the 120 km/h sets are to be maintained by Pesa for five years.
The 97∙7 km Tema – Mpakadan route has six stations and includes a 300 m five-span viaduct across the River Volta downstream of the Akosombo Dam and 158 other structures. Built with financial support from Exim Bank, the route through Doryumu, Kpong and Juapong is intended as the first stage of a 1 000 km link that will eventually reach Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso via Kpeve, Hohoe, Jasikan, Nkwanta, Bimbila, Yendi, Tamale, Walewale, Bolgatanga and Navrongo. There are also proposals to build a branch from Yendi to Sheini, where there are deposits of iron ore.
The DMUs are destined to make six return workings per day, with three in the morning, one in the afternoon and two in the evening. At Tema passengers will be able to connect at Community 1 station with the 30 km 1 067 mm gauge line to Achimota, Baatsona and Accra that reopened in January 2019, having been suspended in October 2017 following a derailment.
Officials from Ghana’s VAOB financing and infrastructure management group, working with the Ministry of Railway Development, welcomed the arrival of the first Pesa vehicles. ‘This is a proud moment for VAOB’, said CEO Tony Burkson. ‘The successful delivery of this project embodies the heart of our mission to empower African governments to structure financing and advance critical infrastructure in various economic sectors … for us, this is the beginning of a journey that we hope will transcend the borders of Ghana, where VAOB will continue to supply rolling stock to other African governments, paving the way for more efficient commutes across the continent.’
