Wow! Ghana to invest $21 billion into railway. Railways have always been a driving force in the industrialisation and economic growth of a country. Railways contribute to both social enthusiasm and commercial competitiveness by transporting millions of people and goods to cities and towns worldwide. The railway has been a critical tool in driving economic growth in countries that have established transportation infrastructure. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Japan, China and others have seen significant improvements in their people's lives and economic development as a result of the effective use of railways as a major mode of transportation. In the 1950s, train transportation was regarded as one of the best on the African continent. The railway was an important mode of transportation, connecting the major cities of the countries. Railway travel was extremely efficient, dependable, cost-effective and safe. The most important aspect was how it improved the local economy of traders and agricultural product transportation from the source to market hubs. Historically, Ghana's railway system was limited to the plain south of the barrier range of mountains north of Kumasi. However, the 1,067mm narrow-goed railway, which spans 1,300km, is undergoing major rehabilitation with inroads into the interior now underway. In Ghana, the majority of the lines are single-tracked, with an estimated 32km of double tracking in 1997. Soon after independence, Ghana built a massive railway infrastructure connecting the country's coastal industrial towns to the country's resource-producing areas. The economy of the country's mining forestry and cocoa-growing regions benefited from railway transit. In the 1950s and 1960s, railways were the most popular mode of transportation for Ghana's small businesses and women. Due to years of neglect by successive previous governments, many Ghanaian have never considered using the railway system as an alternative mode of transportation. Despite the government's efforts to fill the transportation market with buses, as provided by previous administrations, the transportation system was primarily owned by the private sector, filling a gap in our deficient transportation system. Ghana's initial operational rail line of 947km in 1962 lines. The Western Line and the Eastern Line has been reduced to 160km in 2020 due to neglect and underfunding over the years. Ghana had the highest decline in the effectiveness of available rail lines, 16.9% in 2020. Experience the significant decrease in freight volumes transported and accessibility to railway services, 0.6% in 2020, indicating the sector's dire state. The Western Rail Line connects Takaradi port to Kumasi with a branch line connecting Dunquo to a wasa. It is 339km long in total. Today, it is arguably the line that lends itself best to a boaty or boo-hoo'd financing model, while the Eastern Line connects Akra to Kumasi with a branch line connecting Akra to Temma. Railways have recently gained prominence in the development of emerging countries, particularly in Africa and particularly in Ghana. Ethiopia's colonial era railway has also opened thanks to $3.4 billion in Chinese bank funding. New railway systems, upping built in Kenya, Senegal, Tunisia and Morocco, which are revolutionizing people's lives and national economies. Ghana's rail system has been in disarray for a long time. As the government's drive to industrialize, the country continues and new mineral deposits are exported, the prospects for investing in a modernized railway system appear promising. The sector is being restructured in order to increase private sector participation in the delivery of rail transport services in order to stimulate the country's socio-economic development. Ghana has started building mega railways to all of the country's major cities and strategic mineral resource sites. The project is being funded with government resources, a build and operate transportation agreement with private partners and a Chinese development bank credit facility. So far, the Ghanaian government has awarded contracts totaling $9 billion to various firms in order to meet its goal of constructing 1400 kilometers of new railway lines by the end of 2020. Other contracts for other sections of the rail network are currently being negotiated, with completion expected within the next 10 years. China Gazebah Group, China Harbour Engineering and China Road and Bridge were reported to be interested in the scheme last year, as were African Rail of Ghana and the US registered TFNC Rail Mark. Because the government of Ghana cannot fund the project with its own resources, we retain Price Waterhouse Cooper as our transaction advisor and tenders were sent to the international community for interested bidders, Mr. Dombro explained. Following that, 45 people were shortlisted, which was later reduced to 6. We had to be cautious with the selection process, because some of the bidders were simply time-wastors. It's been a slow grind, but it's been a deliberate and responsible grind. Once Ghana's railway system is completed, transportation of goods and services in Ghana will be quick and easy, as will movement of people. Ghana will not only develop quickly, but it will also grow rapidly. Please share, comment on, and like the video if you enjoyed it, and subscribe to Africa Reloaded for more exciting videos.