The Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) has raised concerns over rising safety risks on the Tema–Mpakadan Railway Line after a passenger train ran into six goats on the tracks.
The Chief Executive Officer of GRDA, Frederick Appoh, said the incident happened on July 30 and points to ongoing problems of trespassing, vandalism and intentional disruption of railway activities.
According to him, the DMU002 passenger train had over 150 passengers on board when it hit the animals while moving at approximately 45 kilometres per hour. Mr. Appoh said the crash shows why the public must obey railway safety rules, adding that trains are not able to brake suddenly or swerve to avoid objects on the line.
“A train cannot just swerve or stop on the spot,” he noted, explaining that due to their size and speed, trains require a long distance to come to a halt when there are obstructions on the corridor.
He disclosed that railway officials have dealt with several cases of people entering restricted zones recently. In one instance, a person sat on the tracks and ignored repeated warnings from a train horn. Staff had to physically pull the individual off the line to avert disaster. Apart from trespassing, the GRDA boss said the authority has also recorded numerous cases of deliberate sabotage along the route.
He stated that there have been more than six cases of stones being hurled at trains and 11 cases where rocks were deliberately placed on the rails. Mr. Appoh cautioned that such actions pose major dangers to operations and could lead to derailments, especially with the planned start of heavy freight services on the line.
He explained that the passenger trains currently running on the route produce about 750 kilowatts of power. In contrast, freight locomotives set to begin commercial operations will produce around 2.25 megawatts, equivalent to 3,000 horsepower, and will pull far heavier loads.
