Thelo DB consortium will sign a framework agreement for the transformational Western Railway Line Project with the government.

The signing ceremony will take place on July 25, 2002 during the Ministerial Programme hosted by the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra, Ghana.

Ronnie Ntuli, Chairman, Thelo DB, in a statement issued yesterday said "The Western Railway Line Project will transform Ghana's existing railway infrastructure base into a modern, robust and integrated railway system, with the associated infrastructure to position Ghana's rail network as a leading transport system in Africa."

The project includes project preparation-related activities, such as feasibility studies, demand analysis, preliminary and detailed design, and procurement consulting, systems engineering design, construction supervision, design review, audit systems engineering, testing and commissioning of rolling stock and infrastructure, early train operator, consulting services in terms of infrastructure operations, rolling stock operations, infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance.

Speakers at the signing ceremony will include Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana; John-Peter Amewu, Minister for Railways Development, Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Trade and Industry, South Africa, WamkeleMene, Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and DrAkinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group.

The rest are Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Afreximbank; and Mr Ronnie Ntuli, Chairman, Thelo DB.

Thelo DB is a South African railway entity incorporated between Thelo Ventures, an African industrial company, and Germany's Deutsche Bahn Engineering & Consulting (DB). The Thelo DB consortium also includes Ghanaian partner Transtech Consult.