John-Peter Amewu (in White) and the KEC team -Praveen Goyal (Senior Vice President), Gulzar Miglani (General Manager), and Kaushic Khanna, Country Representative
The Ministry for Railway Development through the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) is optimistic that the new railway line from the central business district of Accra, to Nsawam in the Eastern Region, will be commencing soon.
The Standard Gauge rail line project when completed will replace the existing narrow gauge which is slower and unable to carry large cargos.
The new rail line which is to be constructed by KEC International Limited, India will cover approximately 43km, starting from Accra through Achimota, Adjin Kotoku and ending at Nsawam, a central business district connecting the south to the Middle Belt of the country. It will also be faster and be able to carry more cargo as desired by many passengers from the area.
In a recent meeting with the Minister for Railway Development, John-Peter Amewu at Hohoe, the Senior Members of the contractor assigned to the project, KEC International assured the Minister that plans are far advanced towards the implantation of the project.
The KEC team consisted of Praveen Goyal (Senior Vice President), Gulzar Miglani (General Manager), and Kaushic Khanna ( Country Representative).
They outlined key steps being taken to facilitate a smooth takeoff of the project. Key among them is the confirmation that they have reached an advanced stage of discussions with lenders for the financial agreement of the project.
Mr. Amewu commended the contractor for the work done so far and stressed the level of commitment and priority that government attaches to the project, considering that it will boost economic activities, create jobs and improve the lives of Ghanaians.
He said, “The project shall have a major impact on the socio-economic development of the country. The railway project will run through designated stations and the highly urban areas and provide immediate relief to the population by providing an alternate faster mode of transportation.”
To this end, he assured them of the government’s support and reminded them to be thorough and faster about the implementation of the project.
The contract for this line was signed between KEC & GRDA. The contract is yet to commence as certain contract precedents have to be satisfied for the commencement of the project.
KEC International Limited is an India-based company with a global footprint in 100+ countries and has successfully undertaken many Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects in Ghana. Some of these countries include India, the Middle East, Bangladesh, Europe, Togo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Senegal.
From Fred Duodu, (k.duodu@yahoo.com