Two Plasser & Theurer machines help to put the new lines into operation.
The Ghana Railway Master Plan project for expanding the country’s rail network is making headway. Two machines with Plasser & Theurer technology help to quickly put the new lines into operation. Ghana’s railway network dates back to British colonial times (1820-1957) and was built for transporting raw materials and goods from areas south of the mountain barrier to the city of Accra, which at the time was the trade centre for all kinds of goods. The triangular rail network between Sekondi, Kumasi, and Accra comprises approximately 1,000 km.
Revitalizing the existing network
During the second half of the 20th century, investments in the railway network came to a halt. As a result, road traffic increased. In the 1990s, Ghana Railway Corporation started a project to revitalize the existing network. The Ghana Railway Master Plan, compiled in 2013, proposes a six-phase-project to build a new, 4,000 km standard gauge network. The government created the Ministry of Railways Development to emphasize the railway's strategic importance for the country’s ongoing development.
The new lines will enable railway transport to northern regions and to the neighbouring country of Burkina Faso. As a result, connections are established between this land-locked country and the Tema and Takoradi seaports. The track gauge will be changed from Cape gauge (1,067 mm) to standard gauge (1,435 mm). The lines will be designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h. Higher axle loads will be permissible: 16 t on the western railway line, 14 t on the eastern line, and 25 t on the central line.
New construction project with Indian participation
The new line in the East starts in Tema, the largest seaport in Ghana, passes through Afienya, and ends at Mpakadan, a few kilometres from Akosombo. From there, it will continue northwards to the east of the Volta reservoir. The new line with a length of about 96 km will be designed for mixed traffic at speeds of up to 160 km/h. The completion of the railway line including the stations was scheduled for the autumn of 2020.
The project is a partnership between the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) and Afcons Infrastructure Limited, an Indian construction company that financed the project. Afcons Infrastructure Limited operates in several African countries, with a high level of social commitment: 1,150 out of its 1,400 employees are from Ghana.
Tamping and ballast levelling machines in use
Two track maintenance machines are used for the fully mechanized track maintenance: a Unimat Junior 08-16/4 levelling, lining, and tamping machine and a PBR 400 R ballast profiling machine. Both machines were built by Plasser India and delivered at the end of 2019. In February 2020, upon acceptance, the two machines immediately went into construction operation.
The Unimat Junior 08-16/4 levelling, lining, and tamping machine, produces and fixes the geometrically correct position of the track. Our tamping technology ensures long-lasting compaction of the sleeper bed. Uniform compaction and a homogeneous ballast bed are crucial. They determine the uniformity of the residual settlements, creating a durable longitudinal level.
The correct ballast cross-section is an essential factor: it ensures a durable track geometry and prevents track distortion. The front plough and the shoulder ploughs are important features of the PBR 400 R ballast distributing and profiling machine. The machine produces a perfect ballast profile in one pass and achieves a high continuous working output.
"We are very pleased with the new machines. They were immediately able to support us in our ambitious construction goals. After a short training period we started constructions.”
Udai Veer Singh
Vice President at AFCONS Infrastructure Limited - A Shapoorji Pallonji Group Company
The West African country Ghana is situated on the Gulf of Guinea, bordering Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to the east.
Ghana is about the same size as the United Kingdom. The two countries share a historical link due to colonial times. The country has about 29 million inhabitants and has been divided into 16 regions, each with a regional minister, since 2019. Accra, the capital of Ghana, is a coastal city in the south of the country.
Source: www.planet-wissen.de/kultur/afrika/ghana/