Founder of Unions Government, Akwasi Addae Odike, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to prioritise railway development as an alternative to using Ghana’s roads extensively to transport heavy-duty cargo.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme in Accra on Saturday, September 19, 2026, Mr Odika said if he were President Mahama and had GH¢4 billion available to construct an expressway, he would rather invest the money in developing railway lines across the country.
He said an expanded railway network could be used to transport heavy-duty cargo from Ghana’s ports to the northern parts of the country and other regions.
“If I were President Mahama and I had GH¢4 billion to construct the expressway, I would rather channel the money into railway lines to carry heavy-duty cargo from the ports to the north and other parts of the country.”
Mr Odike argued that prioritising railway infrastructure would help reduce the pressure heavy-duty trucks place on Ghana’s road network as they transport goods over long distances.
According to him, the frequent movement of heavily loaded trucks on major highways contributes to the deterioration of roads and increases the need for maintenance.
He said rail transport could provide a more efficient means of moving large volumes of goods over long distances, particularly from the country’s ports to destinations across the country.
Mr Odike explained that shifting a significant portion of heavy cargo from road to rail would reduce the number of heavy-duty trucks using the highways and help preserve road infrastructure.
He further suggested that railway infrastructure could be incorporated into the planning and construction of major expressways to create a more integrated transport system.
Under such an arrangement, he said, heavy-duty cargo could be transported by rail while expressways are used mainly by other motorists, reducing pressure on the roads and potentially extending their lifespan.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah