How saboteurs are offered GH¢20 to place stone on the tracks to derail, destroy new Tema-Afienya train
The Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) and the Ghana Police Service have launched a joint investigation after uncovering a disturbing plot by suspected saboteurs to disrupt the newly commissioned train service operating on the Tema–Afienya route.
The probe follows two separate incidents this week targeting the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train recently introduced to boost passenger transport along the new Tema–Mpakadan railway line, the Graphic Online reports.
The first incident occurred on Monday, October 20, 2025, when a 10-year-old boy allegedly threw stones at a moving train, shattering its windscreen.
Investigations suggest the boy was coerced and paid GH¢20 by unidentified individuals to commit the act. The following day, Tuesday, October 21, 2025, another attempt was made to sabotage the train by placing a large stone on the tracks in what appeared to be a deliberate effort to derail it.
Police have since arrested two suspects — the 10-year-old boy and his father — who are believed to be linked to both incidents. The boy has been handed over to the Juvenile Unit of the Ghana Police Service, while his father remains on the run.
Dr. Frederick Appoh, Chief Executive Officer of the GRDA, confirmed the incidents and described them as “reckless acts of sabotage” intended to undermine the nation’s progress. He expressed disbelief that anyone would intentionally endanger lives and national infrastructure.
“We are dealing with a very disturbing development. The first incident involved a child throwing a stone directly at the train’s windscreen while 184 passengers were on board. The following day, a stone was placed on the rail track — a move that could have caused catastrophic damage,” Dr. Appoh said.
He disclosed that security teams intervened swiftly to prevent the second attempt, averting what could have been a major accident. Police investigations so far indicate that the suspects were paid to commit the crimes, though the motive behind the payments remains unclear.
The GRDA has since intensified surveillance and security patrols along the Tema–Afienya rail corridor. “We are deploying additional personnel to monitor the entire stretch. The threat is constant, but our response is stronger,” Dr. Appoh assured.
The damaged windscreen of the train has been temporarily repaired, allowing passenger service to continue uninterrupted. Dr. Appoh said a full replacement would be completed within two weeks.
He stressed that the attacks would not derail the government’s ongoing Railway Reset Agenda, which aims to modernise and expand Ghana’s rail network to support industrialisation and regional connectivity.
“This act of sabotage will not stop us. The railway represents Ghana’s future, and we will defend it,” he said, urging the public to report any suspicious activity along railway lines to help protect critical national infrastructure.
The latest attacks come just a year after a similar incident in April 2024, when a driver parked a truck on the railway line during a test run, resulting in an accident that damaged one of the new DMU trains and forced a temporary suspension of services.
The Tema–Mpakadan railway, which resumed commercial operations on October 1, 2025, remains a key component of the government’s transportation strategy, linking the port city of Tema to Ghana’s eastern corridor and eventually to the Volta Lake transport network.