NPP grills government over purchase of decades-old British locomotives for Ghana's railway network

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has pressed the government to come clean on its recent purchase of two refurbished diesel locomotives and 20 freight wagons, raising pointed questions about value for money, long-term maintenance costs and the overall readiness of Ghana's railway infrastructure to absorb the investment.

In a statement issued by its Transport Sector Committee, the NPP acknowledged that expanding Ghana's railway network is a worthy goal, but insisted that public spending of this nature must be accompanied by full transparency. The party identified the locomotives as British Rail Class 56 units, originally manufactured in the United Kingdom between 1976 and 1983 and subsequently refurbished before being acquired by Ghana.

The committee expressed unease over the fact that many Class 56 locomotives have already been decommissioned in several countries, raising doubts about the long-term availability of spare parts and the cost of keeping the engines operational. The NPP urged government to clarify whether comprehensive maintenance contracts and technical support arrangements for local railway engineers had been secured as part of the deal.

Questions over corridor readiness and budget allocation

The party also questioned whether the Tema-Mpakadan railway corridor — the intended route for increased freight operations — has the necessary cargo-handling infrastructure in place, and whether a thorough market demand assessment was carried out ahead of the purchase. It contrasted the current acquisition with locomotive procurements made under the previous NPP administration, noting that trains sourced from Polish manufacturer PESA came bundled with a five-year maintenance agreement and provisions for technology transfer to Ghanaian personnel.

On the broader funding picture, the NPP highlighted what it described as an inadequate budgetary commitment to the rail sector, pointing to an allocation of roughly GH¢70 million for railway infrastructure in the 2026 national budget. The party questioned whether that figure is enough to support the government's stated ambitions, including completion of the long-delayed Western Railway Line.

The NPP concluded by calling on authorities to move beyond symbolism and subject the acquisition to rigorous scrutiny based on its operational sustainability, commercial viability and genuine long-term benefit to Ghanaians who depend on an efficient freight and transport system.