President John Dramani Mahama has described the Western Rail Line as the ultimate gamechanger for Ghana’s trade and logistics future, announcing that the project will be prioritized in the government’s new economy plan to be unveiled in Thursday’s budget.
Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the $98 million Berth 19 project at the Takoradi Port, the President said the rail line—particularly its first phase to Nyinahin—would unlock the country’s mineral wealth and position Takoradi as a strategic gateway for regional trade.
“Ultimately, the gamechanger is the Western rail line,” President Mahama declared. “We have the railway master plan, but of all the rail designs we have, the Western line is the most profitable because of the manganese, the bauxite, and all that. And so even if you take containers up, you can bring bauxite or manganese or lithium down to the port.”
The President revealed that the Minister of Finance will announce the two-phase Western Rail Line project on Thursday as part of the new economy plan. Phase 1 will extend the line to Nyinahin to enable bauxite mining, while Phase 2 will continue along the Western corridor to Hamile on Ghana’s northern border.
“Phase 1 will take the line all the way to Nyinahin, so that we can start to mine the bauxite in Nyinahin, and Phase 2 will take the line and continue it along the Western corridor all the way to Hamile on our northern border,” he explained. “And so it will be possible for Burkina Faso to take both their imports and exports from the Takoradi port and take it along the rail line all the way to Hamile.”
Turning to the Berth 19 project, President Mahama emphasized its role in expanding the port’s capacity for bulk cargo.
“It is important for us to note that Berth 19 will increase our capacity for bulk handling,” he said.
The project is estimated at about $98 million, with a construction timeline of 26 months. The President expressed optimism about returning to commission the facility, noting key milestones along the way.
“It is my hope that in the 26 months construction time, we will come back here to commission it. We will come in 18 months for shipwright, and then we will come in 26 months for GPHA’s Berth 19,” he stated.
President Mahama also provided updates on the Volta Corridor, announcing that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has agreed to fund a new private-sector port at Aplikuma, led by LMI.
“We spoke about the Volta Corridor, and I am happy my brother from the African Development Bank spoke about it. And I have good news. IFC have agreed to fund it. And so they are looking at a new port at Asikuma. That is a private sector port. It is being led by LMI, and so they are lending to LMI too,” he said.
He further noted that construction of the Asikuma Port has commenced, with another port planned at Debre in the Savannah Region. Barges will move cargo from Asikuma to Debre, where an inland terminal is intended to be developed.
This, he said, would allow Burkina Faso to collect its containers from that side rather than travelling all the way to Tema, significantly reducing travel distance.
The combination of the Berth 19 expansion, the Volta Corridor developments, and the prioritized Western Rail Line signals a renewed push to position Takoradi as a hub for bulk exports, regional transit trade, and industrial growth.
With the budget set to formalize the Western Rail Line’s phased construction, the government is signaling that infrastructure particularly rail will be at the heart of its economic transformation agenda.
As President Mahama concluded, the Western Rail Line is not just a transport project; it is the backbone of a broader strategy to connect Ghana’s mineral wealth to global markets and to deepen trade ties with landlocked neighbors.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
