The small but economically vital rail network is confined to the lower half of the country with a route of 94 kilometer and track length of 1300 kilometers.it comprises the western line 373.8 kilometers from Takoradi to Kumasi including the branch lines from takoradi to prestea, from Dunkwa to Awaso and Sekondi to Kojokrom the central line 239km from Huni vallay to Kotoku with a branch line from Achiasi junction to Kade and the Eastern line 330km from Accra to Kumasi with a branch line from Achimota to Tema Harbour.
Construction of the network started in Sekondi in 1898. The initial stretch of 66 kilometers from Sekondi to Tarkwa was completed in 1901 and service to Tarkwa commenced. The Railways was then a wing of the Gold Coast Civil Service.
It became Railway and Ports Authority in 1972 and on the 1st of July 1977 under (SMCD95), the Ghana railway corporation was established as a body corporate under the a separate administration distinct from the port. On the 7th of march 2001 under the company’s Act,1963 (Act 179) the Ghana railway company limited was created with registration number 94, 198.
In a bid to resuscitate the railway industry and promote involvement of the private investors or sovereign wealth fund in the financing, developing and operating the railway network in Ghana, the Ghana railway development Authority was created in January 2009. In so doing the Government of Ghana through the Ghana Railway development Authority will provide the requisite infrastructure while the private sector will provide the operational services.