Sampson Asaki Awingobit, Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, has called on the government to urgently revive the use of railway services to transport transit containers from Ghana’s ports to inland terminals as part of measures to reduce congestion around the Tema Port area.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Morning Show in Accra on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Mr. Awingobit said the railway system had previously been used to move containers from the Meridian Port Services (MPS) terminal to an inland location around the Tema-Ashaiman area, where trucks could collect the containers without having to enter the already congested port environment.
According to him, the use of locomotives could significantly reduce the number of trucks operating within the port area because a single train could transport between 20 and 40 containers at a time, compared with trucks that generally carry only one or two containers.
He expressed concern that the rail operation had reportedly stopped despite its potential to ease pressure on the country’s roads and the Tema port enclave.
«“I was so excited when I heard that the locomotive train through the railways was picking the containers. It could pick 40 containers, or it could pick 20 containers, and go and drop them there.”»
Mr. Awingobit questioned why a system capable of moving large volumes of containers at once should be abandoned when Ghana continues to experience congestion caused by the increasing movement of heavy-duty trucks.
He proposed that transit containers destined for neighbouring countries should be transported by rail to suitable inland terminals, including Mpakadan or other designated locations, where trucks could take over the cargo and continue through the Eastern Corridor to their final destinations.
He said such an arrangement would reduce the number of container trucks travelling from the Tema port area to distant locations and help minimise congestion on major roads.
Rail must form part of Ghana’s transport strategy
The Importers and Exporters Association executive secretary also linked the issue to Ghana’s broader railway development agenda, arguing that the country could not continue to rely heavily on roads for commercial cargo movement while underutilising rail transportation.
He welcomed plans to reserve railway corridors alongside major road projects, saying such infrastructure should eventually be used to move commercial cargo to inland destinations.
He specifically suggested that containers from the MPS terminal could be loaded onto trains and transported to an inland terminal, where trucks would collect them and continue the journey.
Mr. Awingobit therefore called on the Minister of Transport to urgently bring the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and the railway authorities together to address what he described as challenges affecting coordination between the two institutions.
“Thankfully, these authorities are all under the Ministry of Transport,” he said.
He urged the Minister to provide clear direction on the movement of transit cargo by rail, whether from MPS to an inland terminal or directly to Mpakadan, depending on the final destination of the cargo.
He believes improved coordination between the relevant institutions would reduce the number of trucks entering and leaving the Tema port area and contribute to easing congestion.
Empty containers also contributing to congestion
Mr. Awingobit further raised concerns about the handling and movement of empty containers after importers have discharged their goods.
He argued that where operationally possible, an empty container collected from the MPS terminal should be returned to the same terminal instead of being sent to already congested empty-container depots.
According to him, trucks sometimes spend several days at empty-container depots because the facilities are full, resulting in more trucks remaining within the Tema port area and adding to the congestion.
He said addressing the empty-container challenge, together with the development of additional cargo terminals and the increased use of rail transportation, would improve the efficiency of Ghana’s cargo-handling system.
Mr. Awingobit maintained that a coordinated approach involving rail transportation, inland terminals and better management of empty containers could significantly improve the movement of commercial cargo while reducing congestion around the Tema Port and on Ghana’s roads.
By Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah, Ahotoronline, Accra.