Galamsey Ravages Tarkwa-Takoradi Rail Line: 12 Suspects to Face Court for Massive Infrastructure Damage
Illegal mining, or galamsey, has inflicted devastating harm on Ghana’s vital Tarkwa-Takoradi railway line, with approximately three kilometers of the 60-km narrow-gauge track—essential for manganese exports—from Takoradi through Akyem to Nsuta in the Western Region left in ruins.
The destruction, uncovered on October 1, 2025, via a viral video, has halted Ghana Railway Company’s (GRC) operations, with excavators and high-pressure “one-leg” water cannons eroding foundations, suspending rails mid-air over pits, and collapsing embankments into water bodies.
On October 6, 2025, Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson, Tarkwa Nsuaem MP George Mireku Duker, and a National Security liaison inspected the site at Akyem, confirming the extent of the sabotage.
Nelson decried the “severe threats” to this Ghana Manganese Company-owned line, urging traditional leaders to assert control and GRC to ramp up patrols.
GRC Deputy Chief Civil Engineer Emmanuel Aggudey revealed the firm halted manganese haulage in January 2025 for maintenance amid funding pleas, only for galamseyers to exploit the pause, causing an estimated $18 million in repairs.
Assistant Superintendent of Tracks Sampson Nyame cited monitoring woes due to a broken inspection rail car, while residents accused some GRC officials of misleading them about a new standard-gauge bypass, fostering neglect.
In response, 12 suspects face charges in Tarkwa Circuit Court on October 7, 2025, for the vandalism, as confirmed by Western-Central Police Commander ASP Den-Ben Eden Selassie.
Community youth have mobilized to reclaim sites, but experts warn of broader economic fallout, with manganese exports—worth millions annually—disrupted and environmental degradation worsening.
This incident, echoing similar galamsey assaults on Bonsawere lines, amplifies calls for urgent government intervention to safeguard infrastructure amid the mining scourge.
