Ghana’s Newly Bought Train Collides with Lorry During Test Run

Joy ChukwuApril 19, 20241 Mins read252

According to authorities, Ghana’s newly bought train from Poland collided with a lorry during a test run in the Eastern Region.

The railway ministry reported that the incident occurred when the train rammed into an abandoned vehicle on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, resulting in minor damage to the train’s cabin area.

However, BBC reported that the train’s driver, railway inspectors, and passengers all emerged unharmed.

Police stated that the driver of the abandoned lorry has been arrested.

The Ministry of Railways Development, in a statement on Friday, said that no one was in the lorry when it was hit and that the location where the lorry was left was not designated as an authorised level crossing.

“Despite the immediate application of the emergency braking system, the train was unable to come to a complete stop before colliding with the vehicle,” it added.

John Peter Amewu, Railways Minister, described the incident on Facebook as “unfortunate, irresponsible, and unpatriotic!”.

In a separate statement, the Ghana Police Service said preliminary investigation showed that the suspected driver left the truck unattended on the railway line, leading to a collision with the train.

They added that investigations into the incident would continue while assuring the safe operation of the railway system.

Ghana recently bought two diesel-powered trains from Poland to enhance its railway transport infrastructure.

The initial Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train reached the country two weeks ago and was slated to serve the new 100km (60-mile) Tema-Mpakadan line.

According to Yaw Osuwu, the head of the railway agency, the second train is scheduled to be delivered in May and, as local media reported, arrive in August.

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