Six companies selected for the East rail line project

Six companies have been selected for the Eastern Railway Line project, which aims to connect Accra to Kumasi with a secondary line connecting Achimota to Tema port.

The companies were settled at the end of an evaluation process by a committee and the transaction consultants, PWC, who saw the number of bidders reduced to 45 and then to six.

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This was revealed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA), Mr. Richard Diedong Dombo.

"The Government of Ghana can not finance the project with its resources, so we have retained PWC because our transaction advisers and bids have been sent to the international community for interested bidders." After that, 45 companies were retained. which was later reduced to six, "he said. .

Upon arriving at the six selected companies, the committee and advisors took into account their financial and technical capacities.

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"On an infrastructure where the construction of a single kilometer costs an average of $ 4 million, we can not rush, so we took our time to badess their financial and technical capabilities," he said. .

"Some bidders are just wasting time, so we had to pay attention to the selection process. It's slow work but it's a deliberate and responsible job that has taken us from 45 to six, "he added.

He added that the six shortlisted companies had been sent to a tender review committee for further evaluation and that once approved, they would select the preferred contractor for the project.

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West Railway

On the Western Railway, he stated that the administration was following the same process as there was currently a bid evaluation process in which the preferred company would be chosen.

However, with this project, he said that the government had taken steps to commit its own resources in the construction of 22 km on 333 km.

"We have already awarded 5 km to Amandi Constructions and a subsequent contract has also been signed, subject to an almost completed value-for-value audit.

Once the audit is completed by the ministry, authorization can be given for the construction of an additional 17 km, "he explained.

Redevelopment of existing lines

Mr. Dombo said the revival of the railway sector was difficult but achievable.

"We are trying to revive an area that was in a coma and that needed an adrenaline injection to wake up, shake, walk and run. I knew the challenges ahead, but nothing can be done when you put your mind and your heart on it, "he said.

He felt that the sector was now heading in the right direction after the decoupling of the Ministry of Transport from the Ministry of Transport, with increased resources enabling the GRDA to embark on the redevelopment of existing railway lines.

"We inherited 946 km of the colonial administration and new developments were added. So we decided to start redeveloping the existing lines, "he explained.

"The GRDA decided that it was not necessary to wait for a disaster to occur before putting services into service between Accra in Nsawam and the Tema-Akosombo lines for renovation." , he added.

He added that the line from Accra to Akosombo had been completed and that it would start operating, while work on the line from Accra to Nsawam was also progressing regularly.