By: Nate Wilson
On Monday, July 18th, Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL) re-opened the Tema-Accra train line after a hiatus of nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. GRCL intended to use this day as a test run to assess the track quality and I, as a Chicago native, sought to compare this train with the ones I commonly rode back in the United States. I was accompanied by my partner from The Finder, Selorm, who was writing a complementary piece on how the trains’ operations went on its first day back.
Upon my arrival at Accra Central Train Station, I could immediately tell that the rules around being on the train tracks were much more lackadaisical in Ghana than in America. Some people were lying under the train for shade, some were using the tracks to dry their clothes, and hundreds of others in the distance were traversing the tracks as they went about their daily business. In America, something like that would never be the case: a station official would quickly berate you if you were merely standing on the tracks or tried to cross the tracks in an undesignated area. Although more dangerous, it was pleasant to be in a more relaxed train environment.
As I boarded the train, I also noticed some differences in the coach itself. Most commuter trains in Chicago are more luxurious than the Tema-Accra line: each coach is outfitted with air conditioning, a washroom, outlets to charge your devices, cushiony seats that can be moved to accommodate big groups, and some even have multiple levels. By contrast, the train I rode yesterday didn’t have many special features. The coaches were cooled naturally with wind — which I honestly preferred — and the seats were fixed, hard plastic. If you wanted to splurge and spend an extra two cedis (25 cents) on a first-class ticket, however, you would be treated to more comfortable seats and ceiling fans. Once the train got moving, right at 5:40 p.m. as promised, these differences faded away and I was inundated with familiar feelings and sounds. The deafening horn, the monotonous rumble of the wheels turning, the occasional groan of the tracks — all of that reminded me of the trains I would take in Chicago. 
While we slowly made our way through Accra (the train was running at a restricted speed limit of 35 km/h so GRCL’s technical team could evaluate teething issues), I could tell that there was quite a fascination with the train. Children cheered as the train passed by, some took videos of the train, and it seemed like almost everyone couldn’t help but take at least a quick glance. I assume that this general fascination with the train is because people desire to see the trains in operation and they’re less mainstream here than in the United States. In Chicago, most people are unbothered by trains, people usually won’t even look up from their phones if they pass by, and some even get annoyed by their presence.
After our first stop at Achimota Station, unfortunately, we ran into some problems. On multiple occasions, the train stalled for unknown reasons (the conductors on board declined to comment on the cause) and it significantly delayed the trip. Almost two hours after our initial departure, we were less than halfway to Tema and all the passengers were sitting in darkness since the sun had set and the lights stopped working. Many passengers were getting antsy and started to demand what was going on. Although the overall unreliability of the train was stark, and certainly would’ve been a cause for uproar in America, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone because it was, in fact, a test run. In other words, problems were expected.
At the start of this day, I had no idea that I would be covering this event, nor did I expect the train ride to take so long. Thus, I was relatively unprepared and after I first stalling incident I was getting worried about how would get home. At the rate the train was moving, I would’ve been lucky to get to Tema before 10 p.m. and my phone was about to run out of battery, so I had to call an audible. Once we got to the next stop, Selorm and I hopped off the train and walked to the nearest busy road, eventually finding refuge in an Uber. I ended up getting back to my apartment around 8:30 p.m., finally ending my 12-hour workday. 
Ultimately, despite all the issues, I enjoyed my ride because it allowed me to see parts of Accra that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I genuinely hope that GRCL can sort out its mechanical issues and maintain the Tema-Accra line in the future as it serves as a symbol of both psychological and physical progress to Ghanaians, while simultaneously providing a cheaper form of transport.