Ghana’s Railway System in Ruins

Ghana’s Railway System in Ruins

Ghana’s Railway System in Ruins At Tema, where Ghana’s last operational train sits idle, silence reigns — and it’s not just the train that’s at a standstill. The entire station feels frozen in time, a relic of better days, crumbling under years of neglect, underinvestment, and broken promises.

For railway workers, this silence speaks volumes. They are frustrated, they are also suffering, and they are developing a  growing sense of hopelessness. According to Franklin Cobbinah, the Branch Secretary of the Accra Railway Workers Union, the workers have reached their limit. “Until our unpaid wages are fully settled, that train won’t move,” he told JoyNews. The message is clear — this strike is not up for negotiation.

Many of the workers haven’t been paid in over seven months, and the consequences are devastating. One worker revealed how the financial strain tore his family apart. “Because I wasn’t getting paid, my wife left. Now I’m raising our children on my own. It’s been a nightmare.” Another added that his daughter, despite passing her WASSCE after completing high school, is stuck at home because he can’t afford her tertiary education. “This isn’t just about salary arrears anymore,” he said. “It’s about stolen futures.”

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But the problem goes far beyond unpaid wages. A visit by JoyNews to the station exposed the harsh reality of the working conditions. The station hasn’t had running water in two years, and electricity has been cut for the past four months. Its power plant has been out of service for five years. Even the washrooms inside the only functioning train are in an appalling state — unhygienic, unusable, and a symbol of the system’s decay.

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Security is another major concern. A station guard shared that their storeroom, which contains essential tools and equipment, has no window or lock — leaving it wide open to theft. “It’s completely exposed,” he said, clearly frustrated and defeated.

Faced with years of mismanagement, many workers believe the only way forward is privatization. “If the system remains in the same hands, we’re headed for disaster,” one worker warned. Their faith in public management has all but disappeared.

Until something changes — until leaders act with urgency and integrity — that train will remain still. And with it, the aspirations of the people who keep this vital part of Ghana’s infrastructure alive will remain stuck, too.

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