On Thursday, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan inaugurated the commercial operation of Tanzania’s electric standard gauge railway (SGR) service, marking a significant milestone in the country’s transportation infrastructure. The new service connects Dar es Salaam, the bustling port city, with Dodoma, the capital, and represents a major step forward in enhancing both passenger and freight transportation within Tanzania.
The launch comes after a month of commercial trial operations. President Hassan, along with hundreds of passengers, boarded the electric SGR train early in the morning for the inaugural journey from Dar es Salaam. The train arrived in Dodoma after a three and a half-hour trip, a notable improvement over the nine-hour bus journey that previously connected the two cities.
Shortly after, another electric SGR train, carrying Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, also departed Dar es Salaam for Dodoma. The new service covers a distance of 722 kilometers.
President Hassan emphasized the significant benefits of the new service, highlighting that the enhanced train speed will substantially reduce travel times and improve the efficiency of goods and people movement across the country. “The electric SGR train will cut travel time between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma to about three and a half hours, compared to the nine hours required by bus,” she noted.
To further support freight logistics, the Tanzanian government has ordered 1,430 cargo wagons. These wagons are expected to bolster the transportation of goods from the Dar es Salaam port to inland regions and neighboring landlocked countries, such as Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa outlined that the broader SGR project will extend 1,560 kilometers from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, part of a total 2,102-kilometer railway network connecting Tanzania with Burundi and the DRC. The electric SGR train service is anticipated to handle up to 17 million tonnes of cargo annually, alleviating congestion at the Dar es Salaam port.
The SGR project’s development will run concurrently with the upgrade of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), which spans 1,860 kilometers and links Dar es Salaam with New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. Additionally, the initiative includes improvements to marine, air, and surface transportation to bolster Tanzania’s overall connectivity.
This strategic enhancement in Tanzania’s transport infrastructure is poised to stimulate economic growth by streamlining logistics and facilitating trade across the region.
