Editing Transport in Ghana (section)

== Railways ==
[[File:Railways in Ghana.svg|thumb|Ghana's railway network.]]
{{main|Ghana Railway Corporation}}
{{further|Rail transport in Ghana}}
The railway system in Ghana has historically been confined to the plains south of the barrier range on mountains north of the city of [[Kumasi]].  However, the {{RailGauge|1067mm|lk=on}} [[narrow-gauge railway]], totalling {{convert|935|km|mi}}, is presently undergoing major rehabilitation and inroads to the interior are now being made.  In Ghana, most of the lines are single tracked, and in 1997, it was estimated that {{convert|32|km|mi}} were double tracked.

[[Image:Railway Station Kumasi, 2005 – Panorama.jpg|thumb|Railway Station in Kumasi, March 2002]]

=== Rail expansion ===
In 2005, the Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways announced plans to extend the railway system to facilitate economic development. To begin, $5 million was invested for feasibility studies. Possible projects at the time included extending a line from [[Ejisu]] to [[Nkoranza]] and [[Techiman]]; a line from [[Tamale, Ghana|Tamale]] to [[Bolgatanga]] and [[Paga]] to [[Burkina Faso]]; a line from [[Wenchi]], [[Bole, Ghana|Bole]] to [[Wa, Ghana|Wa]] and [[Hamile]] and also to [[Burkina Faso]], and a line to [[Yendi]] where there are iron ore deposits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.modernghana.com/GhanaHome//report_content/doc9.doc|title=Ghana HomePage - Breaking News, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News}}</ref>

Over the next two years, there were various studies<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=109755|title=Korean rail engineers head to Ghana}}</ref> and in 2007, work began.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2007/July/business_July15.xml&section=business&col=|title=Kampac wins Ghana railway contract - Khaleej Times|last=(Wam)}}</ref>

[[Image:Ghana Railways 1670.jpg|thumb|Ghana Railways Engine No. 1670 in Kumasi, June 2005]]
In March 2007, a Private Public Partnership was proposed to rehabilitate the Eastern Railway from Accra to [[Ejisu]] and [[Kumasi]], with an extension from Ejisu via [[Mampong]], [[Nkoranza]], [[Tamale, Ghana|Tamale]], [[Bolgatanga]] and [[Paga]], with a branch from [[Tamale, Ghana|Tamale]] to [[Yendi]] and [[Sheini]].  The extension starts at [[Kumasi]] and will cost $1.6b.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ww5.ghananewstoday.com/|title=ghananewstoday.com|website=ww5.ghananewstoday.com}}</ref>

There was another proposal in September 2007 to extend the Western Railway from [[Awaso (Town)|Awaso]] via [[Techiman]], [[Bole, Ghana|Bole]], [[Sawla]], [[Wa, Ghana|Wa]] to [[Hamile]].<ref>''Rail Gazette International'' September 2007 p. 523</ref>

In February 2008, the ''Ghana General News'' reported that the Ministry of Harbours and Railways and the Ghana Railway Corporation (GRC) expected to complete a new commuter line linking [[Accra]] and [[Tema]] by June 2008.  The formation was complete from [[Sakumono]] to the SSNIT flats near Tema. Diesel multiple-unit trainsets will be imported for use on the line.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.railwaysafrica.com/|title=Railways Africa|first=Railways|last=Africa|website=Railways Africa}}</ref> Construction of sleeper plant for the far north line was also initiated in 2008.

===Rail transport===
[[File:GhanaRailwayMap1.jpg|thumb|350px|A railway map of Ghana showing dates of construction.]]

The Ghana railway network occupies a total [[Rail transport|rail]] route length and [[Track (rail transport)|rail track]] length of 947&nbsp;km and 1300&nbsp;km, comprising national [[rail line]]s that do not go outside of Ghana and the Ghana [[national border]].<ref name="Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy">{{cite magazine |magazine= Railway Gazette |url = http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/essential-renewals-must-pave-the-way-for-ambitious-expansion-strategy.html |title = Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy |access-date = 5 June 2013}}</ref> Ghana railway network is limited to south Ghana and the southern part of Ghana within the Greater Accra region, Central region, Western region, Eastern region and Ashanti region of south Ghana.<ref name="Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy"/>

There are plans underway that revamp the operations of the [[Ghana Railway Corporation]] and [[Ghana Railway Company]] to make it more viable, and to attract [[private sector]] participation.<ref name="Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy"/> [[Concession (contract)|Concession]] agreements have been signed by the Ghana Railway Corporation for the development and extension of the [[Railway stations in Ghana#East|Ghana Eastern Rail Line]] and the rehabilitation of the [[Railway stations in Ghana#West|Ghana Western Rail Line]].<ref name="Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy"/>

* The major [[Rail transport|rail routes]] in Ghana are the [[Railway stations in Ghana#East|Ghana Eastern Rail Line]] that connects Kumasi to Koforidua, and the [[Railway stations in Ghana#West|Ghana Western Rail Line]] that connects Kumasi to Sekondi-Takoradi, Sunyani and Cape Coast.<ref name="Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy" /> In 2010, Ghana Railway Corporation began a [[Ghana cedi|GH₵]]12.9 billion ([[United States dollar|US$]]6&nbsp;billion) rail project at the construction of the Ghana rail infrastructure to Ghana [[High-speed rail|High-Speed Rail]] (''abbreviated'' GHSR or HSR) and to upgrade all of Ghana's railway line network has been planned and to be completed at the end of 2014 with [[construction]] managed by the [[China Railway High-speed|China Railway High-Speed]] (CHR) and the Chinese National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC).<ref>{{cite web|title=Ghana, China signs railway contract|url=http://www.ghananewslink.com/index.php?id=10515|website=ghananewslink.com|access-date=5 June 2013|date=30 November 2010}}</ref>
{{clear}}

=== Service pending ===
{{Main|Railway stations in Ghana}}

These towns are proposed to be served by rail:
* [[Ejisu]]
* [[Kintampo (Ghana)|Kintampo]]
* [[Paga]] - near Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast borders.

[[File:Train In Accra 005.jpg|thumb|353x353px|Train at Accra Railway Station]]

* [[Hamile]] - far northwest corner (Contracts were made for railway extensions in July 2007.)
*[[Boankra Inland Port]] (under construction)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mphrgh.org/projects.asp|title=MPHRGH}}</ref>

=== Gauge conversion ===

Korean engineers studying the building of new lines in February 2007 were also to consider [[Track gauge conversion|conversion]] to {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yinggelken.blogspot.com/2007/02/korean-rail-engineers-head-to-ghana.html|title=Blogger}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/200708/7194.asp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070701221114/http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/200708/7194.asp|url-status=dead|title=Ghana News :: Trains go North ::: Breaking News &#124; News in Ghana &#124; news<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=July 1, 2007}}</ref><ref>[http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/pages/news_detail.php?newsid=4453&section=9 The Statesman : Special Reports : The transformation of Ghana's rail<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/uae_group_signs_ghana_rail_dea.html National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT): UAE group signs Ghana rail deal<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120911062631/http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/uae_group_signs_ghana_rail_dea.html |date=2012-09-11 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2006/papers/ts47/ts47_04_fiatornu_0796.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612140558/http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2006/papers/ts47/ts47_04_fiatornu_0796.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.otal.com/ghana/|title=Overseas Travel and Leisure - OTAL.com}}</ref>