Another day, another preventable accident.
On Monday, an Accra-bound train derailed near Tesano. It has been confirmed that at least 3 people have been injured.
Officials have said that contrary to reports, the injuries are minor ones.
The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. There are claims however that the nature of the tracks played a role in the accident.
The CEO of Ghana Railways Development Authority, Richard Diadong Dombo has stated that the casualties were minimal because the train was moving at a speed of 5 kilometres per an hour.
He further added that an investigation will be conducted to establish what led to the accident.
Mr Dombo stated that the Authority will be undertaking a “holistic” audit of the sector to address the challenges.
“There is absolutely no question about the fact that we are taking a holistic view of this sector and I can assure you no stone will be left unturned,” he said.
The CEO said the Authority will ensure that only competent companies will be given contracts to undertake infrastructure development in the sector.
“There is a lot of groundwork being done behind the scenes,” he said.
It is unfortunate but the railway sector remains undeveloped, more than a century after operations began in 1898 in the Western Regional town of Sekondi.
The Sekondi/Takoradi-Kojokrom suburban railway line which was inaugurated in 2016 for use remains closed ten months later.
We hope that this accident will not be shelved and forgotten. We want to see real results and further improvements to the train infrastructure.