Bright Simons, the vice-president of IMANI Africa and a leading voice on governance and economic policy, has traced the systematic decline of Ghana’s railway sector from its powerful beginnings to its near collapse.
Drawing inspiration from the past, Simons explained how the country’s railway sector, once a symbol of industrial progress and labor strength, has been reduced to a shell of its former self.
“In late colonial/pre-independence Ghana, the most potent political force was not politicians. It was radical, unionized, railway workers with their base in Sekondi.
“In 1950, they were critical in getting Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah’s Positive Action underway and giving it traction”
Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa
According to Simons, after the key roles railway workers played in shaping up the country’s political trajectory, towards and beyond independence, their influence peaked.
By 1961, however, their power had become a concern for the ruling government, “politicians began to worry that they could be too unruly.”
After a major strike that year, Nkrumah, suspecting opposition interference, sought to weaken the influence of the railway unions.
In response, the state moved to control and suppress them, leading to a gradual decline in their strength.
Systematic Neglect and Shrinking Workforce
Through the years, successive governments continued to sideline the railway sector.
Simons noted that while he would not explicitly claim that politicians deliberately underfunded the railway system to curb union activism, the pattern of neglect was evident.
“It is very curious how things shaped up after the revolution in 1979, by which time railway union membership was now close to 15000 workers”
Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa
Tensions between the military government of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and radical labor activists led to further marginalization.
By the year 2000, the workforce had dwindled to 4,600, and operational railway lines had been reduced from over 1000 kilometers to less than 300 kilometers.
A series of ambitious master plans and promises of billions of dollars in investment in the sector did not align with reality of the times and things continued to deteriorate.
By 2012, only 70 kilometers of railway lines remained functional, and the workforce had been cut to 2,000.
By 2020, the situation worsened, with only 64 kilometers of operational track and just 1,500 workers left.
“It is hard to pretend to be a radical nationwide political force when you lose 85% of your membership over time”
Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa
The Present Crisis
Today, the Ghanaian railway system has almost ceased to function. With the suspension of the Nsawam track, less than 24 kilometers of rail remain in operation.
Simons highlighted that this dramatic decline has occurred despite numerous funding pledges from “India, Deutsche Bank, and South Africa.”
However, disbursements have been irregular, leading to project delays and incomplete construction efforts.
“All the above is not what intrigues me the most. Because of the history, no Ghanaian government is ever bold enough to actually sack rail workers.
“So, how exactly was it possible for the ranks of railway workers to thin to less than 1000 workers today? How did this magic occur?”
Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa
The answer to how the railway workforce has continued to shrink despite the absence of mass layoffs, he suggested, lies in the government’s failure to pay workers on time.
Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL) employees, technically not part of the public service since the company became a limited liability entity in 2001, have been subjected to months-long salary delays.
“Initially, they would withhold salaries for about a month or two. Some workers will get tired of lazing about and leave. But then things changed, they started to default on salary payments for months on end. It is a wonder how many workers are still left”
Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa
Last month, the longest recorded stretch of non-payment reached six months. Simons argued that the inability of railway workers to survive without pay has effectively neutralized their ability to act as a political force.
Faced with personal financial crises, their focus has shifted from activism to survival, further weakening what was once a powerful labor movement.
Encroachment, Illegal Mining, Government Inaction
Beyond financial neglect, external factors such as illegal mining and land encroachment have accelerated the sector’s collapse.
Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, recently acknowledged that these activities have destroyed key railway infrastructure in the Western Region.
Despite multiple initiatives to reclaim encroached lands and protect existing tracks, the government has struggled to enforce these measures effectively.
Furthermore, operational inefficiencies have turned the remaining railway services into a financial liability.
The suspension of the Accra-Nsawam shuttle due to land encroachment has further crippled the sector, while the Accra-Tema service continues to yield minimal revenue. The accumulated debt and salary backlog have left the GRCL on the verge of financial ruin.
The railway sector’s decline is not just a story of missed economic opportunities; it is also a lesson in how political and financial decisions can erode a once-powerful institution.
The radical railway workers of Sekondi, who once dictated the pace of Ghanaian politics, have been reduced to a struggling workforce barely able to survive.
Now the railway sector remains trapped in a cycle of neglect and inefficiency.
Bright Simons questions whether any future government will have the political will and strategic vision to truly resurrect Ghana’s railways, or if the sector will continue to fade into obscurity.
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