Newly Purchased Train For Tema-Mpakadan Rail Track Involved In An Accident During Test Run

• One of the new trains set to ply the Tema-Mpakadan rail line has been involved in an accident
• Railways Minister Peter Amewu confirmed the accident to the media and noted the train crashed into a truck
• The train was on a test run when the accident occurred, but no casualties are reported to have occurred

One of the new trains set to ply the Tema-Mpakadan rail track was involved in an accident on the track on April 18, 2024, during a test run.

Railways Minister Peter Amewu confirmed the accident to Citi News and noted the train crashed into a truck.

The minister said initial reports indicated that the truck driver left the vehicle on the tracks and ran off.

There were no casualties, and police are investigating the incident which has captured attention on social media.

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Amewu further noted that the train was not severely damaged and that engineers were working on repairs.

“We are currently in the process of assessing the damage to the train,” he said.

He said the train was not ready for full operations and was in a test run when the accident occurred.

"We were testing the physical capabilities of the train itself to see how it moves.”

The Tema-Mpakadan project commenced in July 2017, and was completed in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was initially scheduled for completion in July 2020.

The railway is part of the 1,000km Ghana-Burkina Faso Railway Interconnectivity Project, linking Ghana from Tema to Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou.

The government procured the trains, Modern Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs), from Poland.

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Netizens hail progress of project

YEN.com.gh reported that the start of the Tema-Mpakadan railway project was praised by Ghanaians on social media.

In a post on Twitter, @YouthAllianceM2 shared photos of the railway project and captioned it, "this is why I defend the government every day. Yes, things are hard, but I can see the projects."

Ghanaians were pleased to learn of the construction of the 97.6 km long railway project when it initially became public since it will make commuting easier for many locals.

Source: YEN.com.gh