Railways

Tanzania RailwaysTanzania Railways

Railway transport is the second most important mode of transport after road and critical for long-distance freight along the main transport corridors in Tanzania.

Tanzania has a total of 3,676km of railway lines operated by two railway systems, Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) and Tanzania – Zambia Railways (TAZARA).

The mainline of TRC comprises the Central Corridor, a meter gauge railway (MGR) connecting the port of Dar es Salaam in the east with central and western areas of the country and terminating at Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika in the west.

The TAZARA line is 1,860 km in length, of which 975 km is in Tanzania and 885 km in Zambia.

Tanzania Intermodal and Rail Development Project (TIRP)

The TIRP is a USD 300million World Bank-funded project for the revival of the Tanzania meter-gauge railway network.

The TIRP project intends to rehabilitate the meter-gauge railway from Dar es Salaam to Isaka (970km) to increase its capacity of carrying freight from 13.5 tonnes axle load to 18.5 axle load.

The TIRP project includes the following:

  • Construction of a new 80-pound rail covering 312km.
  • Rehabilitation of 658km railway.
  • Rehabilitation of 442 bridges and culverts.
  • Improvement of the communications system.
  • Rehabilitation of freight loading and offloading stations at Dar es Salaam Port, Ilala, and Isaka Dry Port.
  • Procurement of 3 Locomotives, 44 wagons, and tamping machines.

 

Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)

The government of Tanzania is currently expanding the country’s rail network with the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) along the central corridor.

The SGR consists of a network of 1,219 km developed in five phases:

  • Phase 1: Dae es Salaam – Morogoro (Km 300)
  • Phase 2: Morogoro- Makutupora (Km 422)
  • Phase 3: Makutupora –Tabora (Km 294)
  • Phase 4: Tabora – Isaka (Km 130)
  • Phase 5: Isaka – Mwanza (Km 249)

Phase 1: Dar es salaam – Morogoro (300 km). Construction was inaugurated by the late Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli on 12th April 2017. Construction is underway by YAPI MERKEZI contractor from Turkey in partnership with MOTA ENGIL AFRICA from Portugal.

Phase Two: Morogoro – Makutupora (Km 442). The construction of the project was launched by the late Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli on 14th March 2018. The initial stages of construction have started under by YAPI MERKAZI.

Phases 3, 4, and 5: These phases, are in various stages of procurement.

Last Updated: 8th October 2021