Excitement has engulfed many Tanzanians as they anxiously wait to take the first trip on the country’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Train next month.
“We have decided to commence initial operations on June 14 this year. We will start with transporting passengers from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro to test all the systems before the official launching on July 25 this year,” said Minister for Transport, Prof Makame Mbarawa.
Prof Makame said the new mode of transport is affordable and modern.
“Tanzanians should show up in large numbers to use this train because I believe it will be affordable. There are some Tanzanians who hear ‘speed 160’ and cannot comprehend it in their minds,” he added.
The trial operations will cover the Dar es Salaam to Morogoro route, while the full service, extending to Dodoma, is set to begin on July 25, 2024.
This preliminary phase will serve as a critical period for monitoring and fine-tuning the system to ensure its readiness for the official launch.
Prof Mbarawa also directed the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) to develop a ticketing system accommodating weekly and monthly purchases to cater to the anticipated high demand from Dodoma to Dar es Salaam.
Providing an update on the project’s progress, Masanja Kadogosa, Director General of TRC, reported that the Dar es Salaam – Morogoro section is 97.96% complete, Morogoro – Makutupora is at 96.73%, Makutupora – Tabora at 14.34%, Tabora – Isaka at 5.8%, and Isaka – Mwanza at 57.08%.
The construction of the Tabora – Kigoma section is ongoing, reaching 5.49%, and procurement processes for the Uvinza – Musongati railway are underway, awaiting approval from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
“We believe that within the next two months, we will have found a contractor,” Kadogosa stated.
