Transport in Ghana

Transport in Ghana is accomplished by road, rail, air and water. Ghana's transportation and communications networks are centered in the southern regions, especially the areas in which gold, cocoa, and timber are produced. The northern and central areas are connected through a major road system; some areas, however, remain relatively isolated.Clark, Nancy L. "Transportation and Telecommunications". " [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ghtoc.html A Country Study: Ghana] " (La Verle Berry, editor). Library of Congress Federal Research Division (November 1994). "This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/about.html] ]

The deterioration of the country's transportation and communications networks has been blamed for impeding the distribution of economic inputs and food as well as the transport of crucial exports. Consequently, the first priority of the ERP was to repair physical infrastructure. Under the program's first phase (1983-86), the government allocated US$1.5 billion, or 36 percent of total investment, for that purpose and an additional US$222 million in 1987 for road and rail rehabilitation. In 1991 the Ghanaian government allocated 27 percent of its budget for various road schemes.

Foreign donor support helped to increase the number of new vehicle registrations from 8,000 in 1984 to almost 20,000 in 1989. The distribution of vehicles was skewed, however, because, by 1988, more than half of all vehicles were in Accra, which contained approximately 7 percent of the country's population. Furthermore, most new vehicles are intended for private use rather than for hauling goods and people, a reflection of income disparities. Transportation is especially difficult in eastern regions, near the coast, and in the vast, underdeveloped northern regions, where vehicles are scarce. At any one time, moreover, a large percentage of intercity buses and Accra city buses are out of service.

Railways

The railway system in Ghana has historically been confined to the plains south of the barrier range on mountains north of the city of Kumasi. However, the narrow gauge railway (1.067 metre), totalling 935 kilometres, is presently undergoing major rehabilitation and inroads to the interior are now being made. In Ghana, most of the lines are single tracked, and in 1997 it was estimated that 32 kilometres were double tracked.

Railway links with adjacent countries

Due in a change of gauge, there is no continuous international railservice in Ghana.
* Burkina Faso - no - break-of-gauge 1067mm/1000mm
* Togo - no - break-of-gauge 1067mm/1000mm
* Ivory Coast - no - break-of-gauge 1067mm/1000mm

Rail expansion initiatives

In 2005 the Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways announced plans to extend the railway system to facilitate economic development. To begin, $5 million was sought from the African Development Bank (ADB) for feasibility studies. Possible projects at the time included extending a line from Ejisu to Nkoranza and Techiman; a line from Tamale to Bolgatanga and Paga to Burkina Faso; a line from Wenchi, Bole to Wa and Hamile and also to Burkina Faso, and a line to Yendi where there are iron ore deposits. [ [http://www.otal.com/ghana/transportnews.htm OTAL - Ghana ] ] [ http://www.modernghana.com/GhanaHome//report_content/doc9.doc ]

Over the next two years, there were various studies [ [http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=109755 Korean rail study visit, August 2006] ] and in 2007, work began. [ [http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2007/July/business_July15.xml&section=business&col= Kampac to build extension] ] In March 2007, a Private Public Partnership was proposed to rehabilitate the Eastern Railway from Accra to Ejisu and Kumasi, with an extension from Ejisu via Mampong, Nkoranza, Tamale, Bolgatanga and Paga, with a branch from Tamale to Yendi and Sheini. The extension starts at Kumasi and will cost $1.6b. [ [http://www.ghananewstoday.com/gnt_cn_detailb.cfm?tblNewsCatID=21&tblNewsID=1100 GhanaNewsToday.Com: For All The News On Ghana From Ghana ] ]

There was another proposal in September 2007 to extend the Western Railway from Awaso via Techiman, Bole, Sawla, Wa to Hamile. [Rail Gazette International September 2007 p. 523]

In February 2008 the "Ghana General News" reported that the Ministry of Harbours and Railways and the Ghana Railway Corporation (GRC) expected to complete a new commuter line linking Accra and Tema by June 2008. The formation was complete from Sakumono to the SSNIT flats near Tema. Diesel multiple-unit trainsets will be imported for use on the line. [ [http://railwaysafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2320&Itemid=35 Railways Africa - ACCRA-TEMA ON TRACK ] ] Construction of sleeper plant for the far north line was also initiated in 2008. [ [http://www.railpage.com.au/f-p980720.htm#980720 Ghana news - Railpage Australia Forums (Africa) ] ]

Service pending

These towns are proposed to be served by rail:
* Ejisu
* Kintampo
* Paga - near Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire borders.
* Hamile - far northwest corner (Contracts were made for railway extensions in July 2007.)

* Boankra Inland Port (under construction) [ [http://www.mphrgh.org/projects.asp MPHRGH] ]

Gauge conversion

Korean engineers studying the building of new lines in February 2007 were also to consider conversion to standard gauge. [ [http://yinggelken.blogspot.com/2007/02/korean-rail-engineers-head-to-ghana.html Shirley's Studio: Korean rail engineers head to Ghana ] ] [ [http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/200708/7194.asp Ghana News :: Trains go North ::: Breaking News | News in Ghana | news ] ] [ [http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/pages/news_detail.php?newsid=4453&section=9 The Statesman : Special Reports : The transformation of Ghana's rail ] ] [ [http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/uae_group_signs_ghana_rail_dea.html National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT): UAE group signs Ghana rail deal ] ] [http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2006/papers/ts47/ts47_04_fiatornu_0796.pdf]

Highways

In 1997 it was estimated that there was a total of 39,409 kilometres of highways in Ghana of which 11,653 kilometres are paved (including 30 km of expressways). the remaining 27,756 kilometres were unpaved.

International highways

The Trans-West African Coastal Highway, part of the Trans-African Highway network crosses Ghana, connecting it to Abidjan, (Côte d'Ivoire), Lomé, (Togo) as well as Benin and Nigeria. Eventually the highway will connect to another seven ECOWAS nations to the west. A paved highway also connects Ghana north to landlocked Burkina Faso, where it joins another highway in the Trans-African network, the Trans-Sahelian Highway.

Ferries and waterways

The Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 kilometres of arterial and feeder waterway.

There are ferries on Lake Volta at Yeji and Kwadjokrom.

Marine transport

Seaports and harbors

There are ports on the Atlantic Ocean at Takoradi and Tema.

Merchant marine

There are six ships (with a volume of GRT|1,000|first=yes or over) totaling GRT|13,484/DWT|18,583|metric|first=yes. This includes two petroleum tankers and four refrigerated cargo vessels (1999 estimates).

Aviation

On July 4, 1958, the Ghanaian government established Ghana Airways (GA) to replace the former African Airways Corporation. By the mid-1990s, GA operated international scheduled passenger and cargo service to numerous European, Middle Eastern, and African destinations, including London, Düsseldorf, Rome, Abidjan, Dakar, Lagos, Lomé, and Johannesburg. The airline also operates direct service to New York. The GA fleet includes two Fokker 28s, one McDonnell Douglas DC-10, and one McDonnel Douglas DC-9. Since the late 1980s, GA has received overhaul and maintenance service from, among others, Swissair, Field Aircraft Services, and Fokker Aviation. Historically, the airline has suffered from chronic financial problems and thus has had difficulties meeting its foreign debt obligations. Additionally, GA has been unable to purchase new aircraft to bolster its domestic and regional routes.Clark, Nancy L. "Civil Aviation". " [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ghtoc.html A Country Study: Ghana] " (La Verle Berry, editor). Library of Congress Federal Research Division (November 1994). "This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/about.html] ]

Ghana has twelve airports, six with hard surfaced runways. The most important are Kotoka International Airport at Accra and airports at Sekondi-Takoradi, Kumasi, and Tamale that serve domestic air traffic. In 1990, the government spent US$12 million to improve Accra's facilities. Workmen resurfaced the runway, upgraded the lighting system, and built a new freight terminal. Construction crews also extended and upgraded the terminal building at Kumasi. In early 1991, the government announced further plans to improve Accra's international airport. The main runway was upgraded, improvements were made in freight landing and infrastructure, and the terminal building and the airport's navigational aids were upgraded.

Airports - with paved runways

Kotoka International Airport
"total:"6
"2,438 to 3,047 m:"1
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"3
"914 to 1,523 m:"2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

"total:"6
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"1
"914 to 1,523 m:"3
"under 914 m:"2

See also

* Ghana
* List of airports in Ghana

References

External links

* [http://railwaynews.blogspot.com/search/label/Ghana Railway News - Ghana]