Ghana’s first Railway University is ready and set to offer technical training and award of degree certificates for persons interested in building capacities and knowledge in the railway industry,

The first batch of students, ABC News has learnt, would be admitted before the end of the year.

According to Minister for Railway Development Joe Ghartey, the Government through the Ministry has taken a strategic investment decision as part of the revitalization of the railway sector to rehabilitate the old railway training school in “Location”, Essikado, in the Western Region to develop skills that would be needed to man the industry.

According to Mr Joe Ghartey, the needed physical infrastructure have all been secured and that government is waiting on the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa (UMaT) to initiate and complete the necessary accreditation processes.

“As far as the infrastructure work is concerned, we have finished rehabilitating the railway training school and we are ready to take students this year.

“The University will concentrate on infrastructure and railway development” he added.

Mr Joe Ghartey argued that the relevance of the establishment of the Railway University to academia and local economy can never be underestimated.

“The railway sector would be worth over $30 billion. And indeed, Fiche has said that in the next decade the most developed in Ghana will come from the railway sector. We need Ghanaians over the sector and look after it. And that is why we are establishing this university” he clarified.

Mr Joe Ghartey made the disclosure over the weekend at a durbar held to climax the 2019 MTN- Essikado Kuntum Festival of the Essikado Traditional area.

The courses to be run include; MSc Engineering Management, MSc Business and Technology Management, BSc in Mechanic Engineering, BSc Electrical and Electronics Engineering, BSc Computer Science and Engineering, BSc Environmental and Safety Engineering, BSc Geodetic Engineering, Certificate in Railway Engineering (Plant and Maintenance Option) and Certificate in Railway Engineering (Welding and Fabrication).

It may run courses such as BSc in Railway Engineering, BSc Civil Engineering, BSc Aerospace Engineering, BSc Mechatronics Engineering, BSc Transport Management and Diploma in Electrical Engineering after approval from the National Accreditation Board and National Council for Tertiary Education.