The railway system in Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

 has historically been confined to the plains south of the barrier range of mountains north of the city of Kumasi

Kumasi

Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...

. However, the narrow gauge railway, 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

Single track (rail)

A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....

, and in 1997 it was estimated that 32 kilometres were double track

Double track

A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...

ed.

There are no rail links with adjoining countries. However, there are plans to extend the Kumasi-Takoradi railway to Paga

Paga

Paga is a town in northern Ghana, lying where the nation's main north-south road reaches the Burkina Faso border, north of Bolgatanga. There are plans to extend the Kumasi-Takoradi railway to Paga.- Overview :...

, by the Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...

 border, plus a branch from Tamale to Yendi.

See also

• Ghana Railway Corporation
  Ghana Railway Corporation
  Ghana Railway Corporation operates the railways of Ghana. The Ghana Railway Company Limited is a public-sector body with responsibility for the efficient management of the national rail system so as to enhance the smooth movement of goods and passengers....
  
  
• Railway stations in Ghana
  Railway stations in Ghana
  List of Railway stations in Ghana includes:- Maps :* * * - East :* Accra - - port, capital city* Batchona* Asoprochona - suburban terminus* Koforidua * Pokoasi - - junction** Shai Hills -...
  
  
• Transport in Ghana

Further reading

• Fred Shelford, "On West African Railways", Journal of the Royal African Society, 1 (April, 1902), pp. 339-354