2024-08-15 22:26:06
In Tanzania, a new electric train connects the economic capital Dar es Salaam with the administrative capital Dodoma in the center of the country. The project is a partnership with Turkish and Chinese companies and partly financed by the African Development Bank. Tanzania plans to extend the line to the Great Lakes countries.
The new, all-electric SGR trains (Standard gauge railwayStandard Gauge Railway, Editor’s Note) is departing from Dar es Salaam Station, the country’s economic capital Tanzania. That day was a first for many passengers.” Before taking the train, I took the bus, which took three or four hours. But now it is much easier : We come, we sit, we relax, for 1 hour and 30 minutes. »
Connecting Tanzania to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo by rail
The train, which runs at 160 km/h, compared with an average of 30 or 40 km/h for its predecessor, connects Dar es Salaam to Morogoro further west. Just a few weeks ago, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan inaugurated the second section in the country’s capital, Dodoma. The goal, she said: to develop trade between Tanzania and its neighbors. « Transportation in the African continent is not well developed. That is why it is difficult for us to trade with each other. This motivates me to do everything I can to connect Tanzania to the rest of the world by rail. Burundi And to Research and Development CenterA large country that will become an important exporter for trade and Tanzanian products. »
By 2026, trains will connect Dar es Salaam PortMwanza, located in the Great Lakes region in the north of the country, is one of the largest on the continent. It is currently used only for passenger traffic, but freight traffic will begin next year. This modernized train, the SGR, will significantly reduce travel times, improve safety and lower transportation costs, stressed Abdulkarim Atiki, a political and economic analyst in Dar es Salaam. For businesses, this means faster and safer delivery of goods, up to 40% reduction in costs and 20-30% increase in export revenue. »
Disadvantages: Power outages
Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo or Burundi, Tanzania wants to develop the transport of products and materials with its neighbours, especially in the agricultural, mining and industrial sectors, which account for more than 50% of the country’s GDP. Standard railways are therefore expected to create jobs, ensure safer transport and reduce Tanzania’s CO2 emissions. The outlook is therefore positive, but this requires, among other things, the stability of the electricity network, which often fails. Since its launch, the train has been blocked on the track for several hours due to power outages.
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