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Accra to get monorail system
Page last updated at Saturday, July 24, 2010 9:09 AM // Leave Your Comment

A monorail system is being planned to help ease traffic congestion in the Accra Metropolis.

Dubbed “Greater Accra Transit System,” the project would operate on elevated beams in order not to disturb pedestrians and traffic.

The transit system would commence in phases and will include retail and commercial facilities, shopping malls, parking facilities, hotel business conferences, and beach resorts.

Dr Ron Watson, Transportation Engineer and Project Manager of Intercontinental Commerce Corporation, (ICC) USA briefing journalists in Accra on Friday said the transit system would operate from Danquah Circle and Kwame Nkrumah Circle, the Castle Drive and Ohene Gyan Sports Stadium.

He said the double straddle beam monorail would use electricity and ICC would supply its own energy systems for the project.

Dr Watson said transit problems in the cities were similar and that the increase of new buses on roads and construction of new roads could solve those issues.

He said over 40 per cent of the total income of workers was spent on transportation.

Dr Watson said the introduction of monorail systems had been the solution to traffic in Germany, United States, Japan and Egypt.

Throwing more light on the monorail system in Accra, he said the elevated monorail system would be eight miles with 16 stations during the first phase estimated at 1.5 billion dollars.

Dr Watson said the project would be financed 100 per cent from loans and equity contribution by ICC and provide full time jobs for 1,000 people after completion and 15,000 during construction period.

He said a mono rail train could carry the equivalent number of what 20 cars could carry and that would restore the choice to drop out of traffic congestion.

Dr Watson recalled that monorail system introduced since 1877 had not suffered any pedestrian fatalities pointing and that it was one of the safest and inexpensive modes of transport.

He explained that time between trains would be as low as every three minutes to every nine minutes depending on their need.

Dr Watson said so far construction for phase one of the project would be approximately between four to five years and as soon as ICC was through with the feasibility studies concluded within 12 months, it would start construction.

Mr E.J. Miller, President of ICC, said management had completed monorail systems in Cairo and Mecca for pilgrims.

He said ICC had been in Accra for the past two years and that they were happy to start with the project as soon an agreement was signed between the Ministries of Transport, Local Government and Rural Development and Justice.

ICC to invest $1.5bn into Accra Monorail Project

…Provides Over 15,000 Jobs

By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh

Ghana’s quest to reduce traffic congestion in the capital city has been given a major boost, with the implementation of the Accra Monorail project. The project, which is being undertaken by the Intercontinental Commerce Corporation (ICC), a USA firm, is estimated to cost $1.5billion.

The project will be financed 100% from loans and equity contribution by Intercontinental Development Corporation (IDC). Though, work is ongoing, the proposed Monorail project will take 12 months to be completed, and will provide over 15,000 jobs for the teeming Ghanaian youth during the construction period. The project, when completed is expected to offer over 1,000 full time jobs to Ghanaians.

Currently, the public transit in the city of Accra is provided by a mix of privately owned mini-buses known as ‘tro-tro’, taxis and buses, which add to the congested streets and contribute to air pollution. The new transit system (Monorail) will operate on elevated beams in order not to disturb the pedestrians and traffic on the ground.

The well known ‘tro-tros’, buses and other commercial vehicles will be rerouted to feed the transit line after implementation, in order to link more passengers to the Monorail system. The Monorail will carry more than 700,000 passengers per day, with cruising speeds up to 80 kilometre per hour and run 24 hours in a day.

Dr. Ron Watson, a Transportation Engineer and Specialist told some journalists in Accra, over the weekend that the elevated monorail system would be eight miles in length with 16 stations during the first phase of the project and would help alleviate traffic congestion, reduce pollution and increase mobility in the Accra metropolis.

Additionally, the system will allow commuters to bypass stand still traffic by gliding over the congested streets safely, while eliminating hours of commuting between downtown and the residential areas. The Monorail project also includes hotel, business and conference centre, multi-storey shopping complex, beach resort with villas and golf course and other real estate developments.

This real estate development will provide substantial cash for the Accra Monorail project, ensuring project viability and no Ghanaian Government budgeted funding. Furthermore, the project will contribute to the modernization and economic development of the Accra metropolis, improve quality of life and boost tourism.

When quizzed why ICC’s elevated transit system for Accra, Dr. Watson stated that “ICC’s initial findings in Accra indicate that Ghanaians want more mobility, not less mobility. Elevated rapid transit will provide this mobility above and beyond that being provided by automobile and not at the expense of the automobile”.

Dr. Watson disclosed that the monorails may be automated and not requiring drivers and would be controlled by an electronic control system. The President of ICC, E.J. Miller said the company operates the same project in Cairo, Egypt, and Jida and Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

picture this monorail going through the Accra Central business district!...very picture-risque...I am particularly happy about this project

Its a bogus project.

Its a bogus project.

Work has started...

Work has started...

You have a source for that?

http://www.freewebs.com/mypicturesandsht/simpsons%20monorail.gif
Monorails are a terrible idea!

http://www.freewebs.com/mypicturesandsht/simpsons%20monorail.gif
Monorails are a terrible idea!

i watched this episode!!!!

ghana be careful not to make the mistake springfield made! lol!!

http://www.freewebs.com/mypicturesandsht/simpsons%20monorail.gif
Monorails are a terrible idea!

i watched this episode!!!!

ghana be careful not to make the mistake springfield made! lol!!

I don't see it happening and even if work already started, I don't vision it it being finished.

http://www.freewebs.com/mypicturesandsht/simpsons%20monorail.gif
Monorails are a terrible idea!

First thing that came to mind when I saw "Monorail" :lol:

Monorail :
- 6 times more expensive than tramway (and BRT) for igual capacity
- 1,5 more expensive than LRT for 3 times less capacity

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/9435/systracomparatifcoutdbi.gif (http://img651.imageshack.us/my.php?image=systracomparatifcoutdbi.gif)

Shall never see the light of the day

Monorail :
- 6 times more expensive than tramway (and BRT) for igual capacity
- 1,5 more expensive than LRT for 3 times less capacity

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/9435/systracomparatifcoutdbi.gif (http://img651.imageshack.us/my.php?image=systracomparatifcoutdbi.gif)

Yes but it's faster than them all. a Monorail in planned in Alexandria is going to be going at 320kmph (Meglev) and it produce electricity for it's self as well as maybe generate electricity for the stations. so that's the up side of it ;) I hope Accra gets it :D

Yes but it's faster than them all. a Monorail in planned in Alexandria is going to be going at 320kmph (Meglev) and it produce electricity for it's self as well as maybe generate electricity for the stations. so that's the up side of it ;) I hope Accra gets it :D

Meglev is an intercity monorail for long distance (Japan) or middle-distance (Munich and Beijing airport). Not an urban transportation with 1000m between stations.

The technology is different.

The well known ‘tro-tros’, buses and other commercial vehicles will be rerouted to feed the transit line after implementation, in order to link more passengers to the Monorail system. The Monorail will carry more than 700,000 passengers per day, with cruising speeds up to 80 kilometre per hour and run 24 hours in a day.

He explained that time between trains would be as low as every three minutes to every nine minutes depending on their need.

We don't know how long will be the line. But it's impossible to transport 700 000 passengers with a monorail in 24 hours ! 15 000passengers/direction/hour with the same numer each hour. With 1 train each 3 minutes during day and 1 train each 9 minutes during night, it's made.

Night 21h00 - 06h00 (1 train each 9 minutes) : 6481 p/d/h
Day 06h00 - 21h00 (1 train each 3 minutes): 19 444 p/d/h this is quite impossible ! ^^

http://www.idc-world.com/Websites/intercontinentaldev/Images/Ghana%20train.jpg

they need to cut some of them tro-tros and introduce more buses, they are a waste of oil for me, and pushes oil demand in Ghana too high. any-ways we got oil now, but it saves money and ghana is in-debt. the monorail is good i hope they dont cancel it, them tro-tros are everywhere you dont see a country where taxis are a main source of transportation.
it has to be balanced out.

Ghana needs less of these far-fetched projects and more down-to-earth ones, like the rehabilitation of railways for example.

^^+1

Ghana needs less of these far-fetched projects and more down-to-earth ones, like the rehabilitation of railways for example.
TRUE

Ghana needs less of these far-fetched projects and more down-to-earth ones, like the rehabilitation of railways for example.
Exactly I don't know why our leaders don't get it. You have to learn to crawl before you walk. They should be concentrating on buses and trains get rid if all the trotros , clean the streets and get the basics right infrastructures in place before thinking about all this. I was there in 07 and tho its improving I still think we need progressive leadership in Ghana and not the ndcs and npps who are all puppets.

Exactly I don't know why our leaders don't get it. You have to learn to crawl before you walk. They should be concentrating on buses and trains get rid if all the trotros , clean the streets and get the basics right infrastructures in place before thinking about all this. I was there in 07 and tho its improving I still think we need progressive leadership in Ghana and not the ndcs and npps who are all puppets.

Monorail would help get rid of the tro-tros. Monorail is pretty futuristic and Ghana should be focusing on more basic infrastructure, but at some point it also has to introduce modern technology, and also invest in groundbreaking infrastructure as well. Forever playing catch up with the rest of the world is not good or desirable.

^^ Wow, congratulations Ghana.. :)

Ghana can take good lessons from BRT in DELHI and MONORAIL in Mumbai.... They can learn a lot from these two projects..

All the best Ghana..

!! Accra is to be launched into the modern rail transport system with the planned introduction of mono-rail coaches in the next five years. Feasibility studies for the 1.5 billion dollar project start next month to be completed in 2011 followed immediately with the construction of rail tracks. Mono rail is a single nine-coach high speed computerized train without a driver. It has a capacity of 1,500 passengers. The privately funded project is to be undertaken by the Intercontinental Development Corporation (IDC) of the United States of America. At a press briefing on the project in Accra yesterday IDC specialist and Transportation Engineer Rom Watson said the project will substantially ease traffic congestion in the city and make the environment cleaner since the train uses electricity. He said each monorail will run 20 hours daily with over 700,000 rides per day using 28 trains. “Time between trains can be as low as three to nine minutes depending on passengers on board. Dr Watson said that under the implementation phase of the project, an eight mile rail line will be constructed from the Osu Oxford Street to the Kwame Nkrumah Circle along which there will be 16 stations. Other rail routes in the city will be constructed in subsequent phases as well as hotels, conference centres, bypass stands to glide over congested streets among other facilities. He said the construction stage of the project will create 15,000 jobs in addition to 1,000 full time employees. The additional phases of the project will extend the Monorail to popular destinations in Accra and the Greater Accra Region such as Independence Square, The National Museum, The University of Ghana at Legon, the Katoka International Airport as well as the popular seaside resorts that dot Greater Accra’s pristine Atlantic Coast

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accra

is not Approved yet???

nice!!!!!...would love to see a picture of the ongoing project...

Its a bogus project.
are you a crackhead?...

are you a crackhead?...

Nah he's our devil's advocate

Not sure how legit it is but check out this link on the project.
http://www.justlawsonuk.com/main/page_accra_monorail_system.html

mmm intresting

Seeing is believing. This could help save a lot of time, especially during rush hour.

When is it going to start?

It's a pipe dream.

It's a pipe dream.

not when you have black gold

Transportation in the capital is expected to receive a major boost with the construction of the proposed 1.5 billion dollar monorail line by the end of year.

The monorail line which forms part of the Millennium City Project will be financed by the Transco Company Limited of Virginia USA with a loan from the Bank of America.

A monorail system operates on elevated beams and does not disturb pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the ground and is expected to run a along the bed line of Accra which will cover the Osu-Airport, Tetteh Quarshie Mallam Junction, Mallam-Junction-Dansoman and Dansoman-High Street corridors.

Mr. Alfred Vanderpuije, Chief Executive Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), announced this at a millennium city initiative review in Accra yesterday.

He said feasibility studies and funding for the project had been secured but the final arrangements will have to be forwarded to cabinet for approval before actual construction will start in September.

He said as part of measures to develop Accra into a millennium city, there is the need to improve the transport system to ensure efficient management of time within the metropolis.

Mr. Vanderpuije said with the President declaring 2011 an action year, the AMA will work to ensure that the lives of people in the city are improved.

He said already there is concrete evidence to show that the assembly is on course to transform Accra into a millennium city.

“The abolition of the shift system in schools, road construction and the establishment of millennium
schools across the city all go to show that we are serious about achieving our aim of making Accra modern city,” he added.

He said in addition to the feasibility studies, transformation of all traffic and street lights in the capital has been completed by the Chinese firm that manufactures the new technology.

“The exercise is to ensure that the city stays abreast of modern technologies in the way it manages its traffic and street lights,” he said.

Meanwhile a group of architects from the Earth Institute of Columbia University, USA, has called on the city authorities to take steps to preserve the technology and cultural heritage of the capital as it seeks to transform it into a millennium city.

The group, led by Professor Richard A. Plunz, Director, Urban Design Laboratory of the Columbia University, said initial reports indicated that the situation in Accra is not helpless and that much could be done to give the city a facelift.

He hinted that Accra will have to consider vertical development in order to create the necessary spaces for economic activities in the Ga Mashie, Nima and other areas.

He said with commitment and cooperation from the city dwellers, a lot of transformation could be achieved.

Professor Plunz commended the residents for their enthusiasm and show of interest in the whole exercise...

Please let this be true. Accra has the potential to be a very beautiful city.

qZf8LkWrQ3s

Bogus project, bogus company

http://www.myharlingennews.com/?p=9168

Type in the companies name in google and see what you find.

And a monorail is NOT the most effective plan. The government should be focusing on developing BRT complimented by a light railway. I would recommend two routes for the LR- West to East from Dansoman to Labadi, and also from central Accra up to the airport.

And why do they have an English guy doing the commentary? What is wrong with a Ghanaian? This guy cant even pronounce trotro right.

Bogus project, bogus company

http://www.myharlingennews.com/?p=9168

Type in the companies name in google and see what you find.

And a monorail is NOT the most effective plan. The government should be focusing on developing BRT complimented by a light railway. I would recommend two routes for the LR- West to East from Dansoman to Labadi, and also from central Accra up to the airport.

+10000

BRT , Cheaper, easy, and very fast to implement.

This company doesnt even seem to exist!

This company doesnt even seem to exist!

I fought Only DRC gets unknown or inestistent so called investors. :hahaha: Africa is the same.:lol:

:lol:

BTW: NICE VIDEO!!

and a ten storey shopping mall at Danquah circle? Accra couldnt support such a large mall.

Have any one got an update from the monorail project yet? Has the project been approved yet? Or should we forget about it and keep on dreaming.
The company does exist. The Company is called the Intercontinental Development Corporation (IDC)
On the company website it does not tell when the project will start but it is part of the company investment project in Ghana. Please check out their website below.

www.idc-world.com/news

According Allafrica website the project will be financed 100% from loans and equity by the company which will cost $1.5 billion. They just want an approval from the government to go ahead. Please check the website below for reference.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201007261361.htm
if anyone get an update of this project could they please let us know. Thanks

The website looks like something a child made.

You should read more about this company on google.

This project would not be feasible. The government is supposed to pay for all compensation along the rail line. The government of Ghana is not in a position to pay for all of that because the cost is going to run in millions of dollars.

I've just come back from Ghana and it has changed alot since I went last time. Many improvements but I didn't find any info or sign of this mono rail development. I have seen the metro one in effect tho.. Ghana lacks the necessary infrastructure required, it needs a proper railway system not a monorail.


Ghana One Love

This like STX. Very suspicious.

http://www.bricklanegh.com/

Its a bogus project.
Hater popa1980 ,why on earth do u like to condem?where on earth do u come from?Even in America,not all the states are beautiful as they show on tv so pls take it easy on Ghana,give ghana 10 t0 15 years.

Hater popa1980 ,why on earth do u like to condem?where on earth do u come from?Even in America,not all the states are beautiful as they show on tv so pls take it easy on Ghana,give ghana 10 t0 15 years.

Ghana has had over many years to get its act together. It has changed alot in the past 10 years but not near where it should be. This is hardly the point. As a Ghanaian - I'm sure we all agree and in consensus (and strongly in my own opinion) that we all want the best for Ghana and to reach its full potential. The point is, this project has been proposed and it turns out to be, nothing but futile. To me it's all political rubbish. I went to Ghana, a month a go and absolutely loved it. I actually want to go again but clearly noticed infrastructure is not up to standard. A monorail itself is flawed and falls below Accra's need. It needs among many things - one being a proper railway structure. This is expensive, Yes, This will take time, Yes, but the benefit will far exceed the cost in the long term. I just hope this new found oil is put to good use. Some of ghana's politicians to me seem incompetent and don't seem to have ideas which aren't always done in self interest and merely for political gain but I love Ghana and it's people and hope it turns out for the best. I just being critical and mentioning what I think but Ghana has so much to offer and it's just sad :(

<3 Ghana

The Hope City Project echoes that of the the Accra Monorail Project and like it's predecessor, The Hope City Project will eventully meet the same fate! Ghana likes to announce projects which fail mainly because authorities fail to prioritize and thus they do not settle for more practicable options.

I'm sure if a conventional light rail network had been planned, it would have had a better chance of actually being built. Though the costs of monorail and light rail systems are comparable, light rail systems support a more extensive network, making them more cost effective. They also support more stops and new ones can easily be added. Future expansion is easily facilitated. The Accra Monorail wasn't really a far-fetched idea just that there were more feasible alternatives that would have attracted a lot of valuable technical assistance from experts to essentially turn it into reality.

I'm not the least bit surprised that it never materialised as announced.

As for the Hope City Project, I'll wait a couple of years, when I know I can seriously gripe about it.

I couldn't find anything on this. :/ I wonder what the hold up is. Lack of funds?

We need to kill this project once and for all- Patrick Bateman style!! :hahano:

vzN3qO-qc8U

Paul Allen = Accra monorail project

Its a joke. And a bad one at that. Like Hope City.