Tanzania’s SGR freight train to begin operations by June

Dodoma. Tanzania’s high-speed freight train is expected to begin operations through the standard gauge railway (SGR) by June 2025, following the completion of trial runs and approval from the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra).

Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) said at the weekend that it’s fixing some issues with other government agencies before rolling out the train.

“We are perfecting some aspects with the Tanzania Revenue Authority and Tanzania Ports Authority before commencing operations. This is a crosscutting issue which we cannot abruptly alone,” said TRC director general, Mr Masanja Kadogosa, during a briefing about the corporation’s achievements in four years of President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Tanzania is building in phases some 2,561 kilometers of the SGR line which will connect the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam to Mwanza on Lake Victoria and Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika.

The modern railway will eventually spur to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. The three countries largely use the Tanzanian port to import and export goods.

The section between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma is completed and the services between the cities commenced operations since last June.

In December 2024, Tanzania received 264 wagons which are part of a larger batch of 1,430 being manufactured by the Chinese company CRRC.

According to TRC, Latra conducted inspections on all 264 wagons, including 200 container carriers and 64 designed for loose cargo.

The authority confirmed that the wagons met the required design speed of 120 kilometres per hour and performed well in critical systems such as braking and handling curves, it stated.

Mr Kadogosa said that the wagon design adheres to international standards, with the railway capable of carrying up to 35 tonnes per axle and reaching speeds of 120 km/h. This efficiency will enable the transport of large quantities of goods in a shorter time.

Mr Kadogosa further noted that, each wagon will have the capacity to transport 120 tonnes, compared to the old railway system, where a single wagon could only carry 40 tonnes.

On the issue of subsidies, Kadogosa revealed that TRC has not requested operational subsidies from the government since beginning operations on the modern railway.

 “Recently, we discussed with our board that government-funded salaries will come to an end from the 2025/26 financial year. This is a significant milestone for the railway sector, as the corporation has historically relied on government funding,” he said.

Looking ahead, Mr Kadogosa stated that by 2027, the SGR service will extend to Mwanza, facilitating trade with South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda. The Kigoma extension is expected to be completed by 2028.

Regarding the construction of a railway network in the southern regions, he noted that various government procedures are underway, and progress is being made towards initiating the project.

“This project will be implemented through private sector investment because of the availability of minerals such as Mchuchuma and Liganga. Unlike the central railway, this project will stimulate port activities, significantly increasing cargo volumes,” he added.

On SGR construction contracts, he disclosed that the total value of agreements signed for the railway projects amounts to Sh29.58 trillion.