Some of the galamseyers destroying the rail line
The Ghana Railway Company has been dealt a big blow as illegal miners have completely taken over one of its most profitable lines—the Takoradi-Nsuta Rail Line.
The company hauls large volumes of manganese from Nsuta to the Takoradi Port for export using the line.
The Takoradi-Nsuta line therefore, does not only sustain the company’s operations but also supports the Sekondi-Takoradi passenger train service.
However, years of neglect and poor maintenance of the line had led to frequent derailments, which has crippled the company’s ability to sustain its haulage operations.
Even attempts by the Ghana Manganese Company and other stakeholders to revive the line have not been successful.
DAILY GUIDE has gathered that currently, haulage has been grounded to a halt, leaving the company in financial distress.
The situation has worsened as illegal small-scale miners, also called galamseyers, have taken over sections of the Takoradi-Nsuta line.
Recent pictures and videos circulating on social media reveal young men mining directly beneath and around the tracks at Achem, between Bonsawire and Nsuta in the Western Region, destroying several metres of the line.
The illegal miners are seen seriously mining for gold behind the construction company working on the new standard gauge line.
The illegal miners appear unconcerned about the consequences of their actions on the line and the environment.
Some of the residents reported that the galamseyers’ activities are taking place close to the new standard gauge line, which is a multi-million-dollar project initiated by the previous government.
As part of the project, rail lines have already been laid up to Manso in the Essikado-Ketan area, with land formation completed up to Esuaso before Bonsawire.
The encroachment by the galamseyers therefore threatens to derail the investment before it even becomes operational.
The extent of the damage suggests the activity has been ongoing for a long time, raising questions about how such destruction could occur without it being detected.
The residents claim that the destruction of the Takoradi-Nsuta line is part of a long thread of devastation caused by galamsey in the area.
“Water bodies have been polluted and now, rail lines belonging to Ghana Railway Company Limited, which is already begging for attention, are under siege,” they lamented.
In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, an official from the Ghana Railway Company in the Western Region noted that the company is aware of the situation, adding, “But you know this is beyond us.”
He then appealed to the National Security to assist the company by patrolling the area to prevent the galamseyers from destroying the lines further.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi