The Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) has secured a EUR20 million grant from the European Union to upgrade the signalling and train control system on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line.
The 97-kilometre line is operating at only about 20% of its potential capacity, GRDA Chief Executive Dr Frederick Appoh said at a press engagement. The current signalling limits how often trains can run on the corridor.
The project will install the European Train Control System Level 1. The Authority is targeting completion in December 2027.
The new system is expected to let several trains run at once, including in opposite directions, and to manage movements safely at the three branch-line junctions on the route.
The Authority says the upgraded line could handle up to nine train movements an hour, with departures about every 10 minutes, depending on operating conditions. It expects capacity use to rise to at least four train slots, or about 50%.
The grant adds to the government's investment in the corridor, which cost about US$440 million to build.
"We competed fiercely with other countries, including African countries, for that grant. And we have been awarded a grant of 20 million euros to do the resignaling of Tema-Mpakadan line," Dr Appoh said.