Ghana Railway Company Limited
CATEGORY | EQUITY | SECTOR HEAD | CHAIRPERSON |
SOE | 100% | MR. JOHN ESSEL |
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.
Operations began in 1898 under the Gold Coast Civil Service with headquarters in Sekondi. The headquarters were transferred to Takoradi after the building of Takoradi Harbour, and railways and ports were jointly administered as the Ghana Railway & Ports Authority. In 1976, SMCD 95 separated the railway from ports as the Ghana Railway Corporation. The company enjoyed the status of a public corporation until 19 March 2001, when it became a limited liability company.[
The original 304-kilometre (189 mi) Eastern Railway was built in 1923 by the British for the purpose of hauling minerals and cocoa. Construction of the Ghana Railways started before there were any port facilities, and locomotives and other equipment had to be lightered over the beach.