Mahama to prioritise Western Railway Line extension in 2027 budget

President John Mahama says the government will prioritise the extension of the Western Railway Line to Nyinahini in the 2027 national budget to support mineral transportation and improve connectivity across the country.

The President said the project, considered the most commercially viable under Ghana’s Railway Master Plan, would be developed in two phases to unlock the economic potential of the country's mineral resources and boost regional trade.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $98.41 million Berth 19 facility at the Takoradi Port and a floating dry dock project, he said the Western Railway Line offered significant economic opportunities, particularly because of Ghana’s manganese and bauxite deposits.

"Of all the rail designs we have, the Western Line is the most profitable because of the manganese, the bauxite, and all that," he said.

President Mahama explained that the first phase would involve extending the railway line to Nyinahini to facilitate the transportation of bauxite and support mining activities in the area.

He said this phase would be prioritised in the 2027 Budget, which the Minister of Finance is scheduled to present to Parliament on Thursday, November 12.

The second phase will extend the railway network along the Western Corridor to Hamile in the Upper West Region, near Ghana's border with Burkina Faso.

According to the President, completing the railway corridor would also provide landlocked Burkina Faso with an alternative route for transporting its imports and exports through the Takoradi Port.

"It will be possible for Burkina Faso to take both their imports and exports from the Takoradi Port and take them along the rail line all the way to Hamile," he said.

The proposed extension is expected to strengthen the country's railway infrastructure, facilitate the movement of mineral resources and position the Takoradi Port as an important trade gateway for Ghana and neighbouring landlocked countries.