When Kwasi Gyan Appenteng’s article “Ghana’s Coming Future” showed up in yesterday’s issue of this newspaper a touch of nostalgia gripped his contemporaries and others, his juniors in the age ranking.
The Blue Train and the Sleeper service between Accra and Kumasi, which had a large patronage came to mind. Then came an abrupt end of the railway services as though they never existed.
The resuscitation of the train system as being undertaken by the Akufo-Addo administration is a stride which gladdens the hearts of many who appreciate the importance of railways in the economy of countries. To therefore think about a country like Ghana without a railway system is one too painful to bear.
We wonder why it escaped many a political administration in the past to ignore such an important transportation system.
So important was the railway system to the development of the country that Sir Gordon Guggisberg, as governor, thought out an ambitious project even in the early 1900s to extend the lines to the Northern territories, a task which was never accomplished. It is auspicious anyway that President Akufo-Addo has found it necessary to include the line extension to his to-do-list and work ongoing.
Even as we relish the prospects of a Ghana with a modern railway system, poles apart from the steam engine we witnessed before all went moribund, thieves have been active in stealing parts of the infrastructure being put up.
So common was the practice that the reportage was becoming monotonous because of its regular frequency.
So far though, there appears to be a lull in the rate at which the parts, sleepers and lines were being stolen. Should that mean that the security agencies have subdued the thieves, that should be worthy of celebration.
The Tema to Mpakadan and the modern railway bridge across the Volta are great feats which call for the doffing of hats for the engineers and the originators of the project.
There have been occasional concerns about the government not blowing its own horns about chalked feats. In politics, it appears being humble when there are strides to flaunt does not pay.
The foregone notwithstanding, we are excited that the railway system long extricated from our transportation sector is on the verge of a return to our landscape.
The thought of being able to obtain a ticket for a long haul trip to the extreme end of the country up north is exciting.
Tourism boost, employment opportunities, and augmentation of trading activities along the route of the system are some of the benefits.
We urge government not to relent in its efforts to revive our railway system because the impetuses are enormous and far-reaching.