The railway ministry said the train rammed into the abandoned vehicle that was on the tracks of the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, causing minor damage to the train’s cabin area.

Ghana’s recently acquired train, which arrived from Poland and intended to operate on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, has collided with a lorry during a test run in the eastern district of Asuogyaman, authorities said.

The Ministry of Railways Development said the accident took place at about 12:10 p.m. on Thursday.

The train rammed into the abandoned vehicle that was on the tracks of the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, causing minor damage to the train’s cabin area, the railway ministry said.

The ministry gave an assurance of zero fatalities as the train driver, railway inspectors, and the passengers onboard all escaped unhurt.

Police say they have arrested the driver of the abandoned lorry.

There was no one in the lorry when it was hit and the location where the vehicle was left was not designated as an authorised level crossing, the Ministry of Railways Development said in its Thursday statement.

“Despite the immediate application of the emergency braking system, the train was unable to come to a complete stop before colliding with the vehicle,” it added.

“It is important to note that the vehicle was unmanned, and the location where it was found is not designated as an authorised level crossing. Thankfully, there were no injuries sustained by passengers on the train or bystanders. However, there was minor damage to the driver’s cab section of the train” the statement clarified.

Railways Minister John Peter Amewu described the incident on social media as “unfortunate, irresponsible, and unpatriotic!”

The Ghana Police Service said in a brief statement that preliminary investigation showed that the suspected driver had left the truck unattended on the railway line, leading to a collision with the train.

Authorities said the investigation into the incident would continue, and also assured the public of the continued safe operation of the railway system.

“We assure the public that safety remains our utmost priority, and we are committed to ensuring the continued safe operation of our railway systems. We urge all stakeholders to remain vigilant and adhere to safety protocols when operating or crossing railway tracks,” the ministry said.

The Ghanaian government procured two contemporary diesel-powered trains from Poland to boost the railway transport system.

The first new Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train arrived in the country two weeks ago and was designated to operate on the new 100km (60-mile) Tema-Mpakadan line.

The second train will be shipped in May and is expected to arrive in August, railway agency chief Yaw Osuwu told local media.

The first train with 12 modern passenger coaches was conducting a test run on the line, which is a new route aimed at improving public transport opening up Ghana's eastern corridor.