Scores of commuters were left stranded during Thursday morning’s rush hour after a passenger train operating on the Tema–Accra rail line derailed following a collision with stray cattle on the tracks.
The incident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, 2026, disrupting transport services along the busy corridor and forcing frightened passengers to evacuate the train.
Collision During Rush Hour
According to eyewitnesses and railway officials, the train had departed the Avenor station and was heading toward Odaw Station when the driver encountered two cows standing on the tracks.
Despite efforts to apply emergency brakes, the locomotive struck the animals, killing them instantly. The impact caused severe vibrations through the train, forcing parts of the front carriages off the rails and into the gravel beside the tracks.
The derailment immediately halted operations on the Accra–Tema railway line, leaving hundreds of passengers, including traders and informal sector workers, stranded without alternative transportation.
Safety Concerns Raised
The incident has renewed concerns over safety challenges facing Ghana’s urban railway system, particularly along the Avenor stretch, which has frequently been identified as vulnerable to encroachment, informal settlements, and unrestricted livestock movement near railway lines.
Technical teams from the Ghana Railway Development Authority and Ghana Railway Company Limited were dispatched to the scene to assess damage to the tracks and supervise recovery operations.
Officials say train services on the line will remain suspended until engineers complete a full inspection of the tracks and clear the area of debris.
Authorities have also launched investigations into the presence of stray animals on active rail corridors and have pledged stricter enforcement against livestock owners whose animals stray onto railway tracks.
