Galamsey Destroys Abandoned Bonsawere Railway Line in Tarkwa

The once-proud Bonsawere railway line, a vestige of Ghana’s colonial-era transport system, now lies in ruin, a haunting symbol of neglect and destruction.

Located along the Western Railway Corridor in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, the railway’s tracks have become buried beneath mounds of sand and gravel, the aftermath of years of unregulated illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Sections of the line have collapsed entirely, with deep pits carved dangerously close to the remaining sleepers, creating a landscape of devastation. What was once a route of movement and progress has been transformed into a scarred wasteland.

Weeds have overtaken much of the abandoned stretch, while stagnant pools of polluted water from nearby mining sites continue to erode the ground beneath the rusting tracks.

Each frame of the scene tells a story of decay, loosened bolts, crumbling foundations, and the faint imprints of heavy machinery where trains once thundered through.

The Bonsawere line, once a lifeline for trade and transport in Ghana’s west, now stands as a silent reminder of the cost of uncontrolled mining and the country’s struggle to preserve its industrial heritage.