As the nationwide sit-down strike by the Railway Workers Union enters its fourth day, JoyNews took a closer look at what remains of Ghana’s once-promising railway sector, and the reality is devastating.
At the Tema Railway Station, where Ghana’s only remaining operational train is stationed, nothing is moving and not just the train.
The station itself is stuck in time and decay. The silence that fills the tracks mirrors the years of abandonment, under-funding, and neglect that have brought the nation’s rail dreams to a grinding halt.
[embedded content]According to the Branch Secretary of the Accra Railway Workers Union, Franklin Cobbinah, the strike is non-negotiable.
“Until our arrears are paid in full, that train at Tema won’t move,” he told JoyNews.
The workers stated that they have not been paid for over seven months, and the impact is taking a toll not only on their livelihoods but their lives.
[embedded content]“As a result of not being paid, my wife left me. I’m now alone, taking care of the children. It hasn’t been easy for the past seven months,” one worker shared.
Another added: “My daughter completed SHS last year and passed her WASSCE, but she’s at home because I can’t afford her fees. This is not just about salary arrears anymore, it’s about broken futures.”
[embedded content]The problems go beyond unpaid salaries. JoyNews’ tour of the Tema Railway Station revealed a litany of shocking conditions.
[embedded content]The station has not had running water for two years, and there has been no electricity for the past four months. The station’s power plant has been out of use for five years, and the washrooms inside the only operational train are in a deplorable state.
[embedded content]In a heartbreaking admission, the station’s security guard revealed that even their storeroom, which houses critical tools, is unsecured.
“There’s no window, no lock. It’s exposed to thieves,” he said.
Many workers believe that the only way out of this crisis is for the government to privatise the railway sector.
“If we continue to leave it in the same hands, we’re headed for doom,” one worker warned.
The silence of the train in Tema is not just the sound of a strike, it is the sound of a collapsing system. It is the echo of years of poor leadership, delayed maintenance, and forgotten promises.
[embedded content]Until something changes, that train will not move, and neither will the dreams of the workers who keep showing up, unpaid, unheard, and unseen.
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