Omanghana
The Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) says it has secured a €20 million grant from the European Union to upgrade the signaling and train control system on the Tema–Mpakadan railway line.
The authority’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Frederick Appoh, said the project is targeted for completion by December 2027. He announced the plan during a media briefing in Accra on the GRDA’s development projects.
The funding will support the installation of the European Train Control System Level 1, which is expected to improve the management of train movements along the approximately 97-kilometre route.
Increasing Train Movements
The GRDA says limitations in the existing signaling system currently restrict the line to one train movement at a time. Dr Appoh estimated that the railway is operating at about 20 per cent of its potential capacity.
The planned system is intended to allow several trains to operate at the same time, including trains travelling in opposite directions using designated crossing points along the route.
According to the authority, the upgrade could support departures at intervals of about 10 minutes, depending on operating conditions. The GRDA expects the increased capacity to create room for more passenger and freight services.
Supporting Freight and Regional Trade
The signaling project forms part of broader efforts to make greater use of the railway for freight transportation. The GRDA has also signed an agreement with logistics company International Service Solution to expand container traffic on the corridor.
The line is part of Ghana’s wider plans to improve transport links towards northern Ghana and Burkina Faso. One proposed arrangement would move cargo by rail from Tema to Mpakadan, then transfer it to barges on Lake Volta for onward transport.
The Tema Mpakadan railway was commissioned in November 2024, with paid passenger services beginning in October 2025.
Source: Omanghana
