Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) has officially launched container transportation services on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), marking a major milestone in expanding its commercial operations, reducing port congestion and improving cargo transport to central regions of the country.
Speaking during the inaugural container train departure from Pugu to Ihumwa in Dodoma Region, TRC acting director of transport services, Mr Focus Sahani, said the train covers approximately 420 kilometres from Dar es Salaam.
He noted that the launch builds on TRC’s earlier rollout of passenger and freight services, including the transportation of rice since July and cement loaded at Pugu.
“Today, we have expanded our business scope by introducing containerised cargo services. As you can see, our first container train to Ihumwa, Dodoma, has officially commenced operations, and we have received strong commitment from our first client,” said Mr Sahani.
The inaugural train comprises 50 wagons carrying a total of 100 containers. The first client, GSM Group, supplied the initial cargo for the new service.
According to Mr Sahani, container loading operations are currently underway at Pugu, while infrastructure upgrades continue at Malindi Yard near the Gerezani area to further enhance container-handling capacity.
He explained that the initiative aligns with the director general’s directive to establish Inland Container Depots (ICDs) in Morogoro and Ihumwa, a move expected to significantly ease congestion at the port.
“We will have an ICD in Morogoro, located 193 kilometres from Dar es Salaam, where customers transporting goods to Mbeya and Iringa will be able to collect their cargo. Additionally, there is the Ihumwa ICD,” he said.
Mr Sahani said that the journey to Morogoro is short and efficient, while cargo destined for Dodoma will be offloaded at the Ihumwa ICD, which is equipped with adequate space and infrastructure to handle container operations effectively.
He urged traders and business operators to utilise railway transport to reduce reliance on trucks operating between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, emphasising that the SGR provides a cost-effective, safe and efficient alternative.
This marks the first time TRC has deployed container carrier wagons since launching SGR freight services on June 27, 2026.
TRC received a total of 264 SGR freight wagons in December 2024, including 200 container carrier wagons and 64 designated for loose cargo transportation.
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