Tanzania Eyes 2019 Launch for 1st Phase SGR

Tanzania is hoping to complete the first phase of its standard gauge railway (SGR) project, which runs between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro, by December 2019. 

The $1.9 billion project will initially transport passenger trains, with cargo trains planned subsequently. To date 60 per cent of the first phase in complete.

Hopes for a December launch date received a boost last week when the locomotives for testing the high speed train service arrived.

Speaking on the development, Minister for Works, Transport and Communications Isack Kamwele stated, “We are going to start conducting the first trials of these speed trains in July to cover part of the 300km. Once this is done, and we are finished with the final works in the third quarter, then we should start seeing operations by December.”

“We have built the embankment, the rail sleepers have been installed and we have now launched the connection of this line to electricity, a first for our country. I am also happy with the knowledge transfer for our people during this project, which will see us gain more engineers and experts in this field,” he stated.

Tanzania’s project follows the inauguration of SGR passenger services in Kenya in June 2017 and in Ethiopia in October 2016.