Tanzania Railway Corporation apologises for electric train delays
What you need to know:
- The public notice clarified that the train that had a technical fault was not the one carrying national leaders and other dignitaries, which had left Dodoma at 7pm arrived in Dar es Salaam as scheduled
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) on Friday, August 2, 2024, apologised for the passenger train delays as they were travelling from Dodoma to Dar es Salaam.
A public notice, signed by TRC's head of Public Relations, Ms Jamila Mbarouk, said that the incident occurred on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train travelling from Dodoma encountered a technical fault in the Mshikamano Area of Kihonda Ward, Morogoro Region.
"The technical fault occurred at 10:33 PM, was fixed, and the train resumed its journey an hour later. As a result, the passenger train arrived in Dar es Salaam later than scheduled," the public notice states.
Furthermore, the public notice clarified that the train that had a technical fault was not the one carrying national leaders and other dignitaries, which had left Dodoma at 7pm arrived in Dar es Salaam as scheduled.
"TRC prioritises passenger safety before and during the journey and apologises for the inconvenience caused," she said.
The incident happened a few hours after President Hassan officially launched the SGR transport services between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.
Reports from the scene say the malfunctioning train was carrying guests who had travelled to Dodoma to attend the inauguration.
"A passenger, Mr Joseph Thomas, told The Citizen that they departed from Dodoma around 8pm, expecting to arrive in Dar es Salaam by 11pm. However, they did not reach the country's commercial capital until 2am.
"It was a terrible experience because passengers began complaining just minutes after the stoppage due to poor air conditioning. The train doors and windows remained closed, and the air conditioning system was not working," he said.
Furthermore, he mentioned that an announcement was later made over the public address system informing passengers that technicians were working on a technical fault in the train engine.
"The doors were eventually opened, but passengers were cautioned against stepping outside due to safety concerns," he said, noting that the train then proceeded to Jakaya Kikwete Station in Morogoro.
A member of the Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF), Mr Peter Nyanje, also said the air inside the train became stuffy, leading to passengers’ complaints.
“Since I had the TRC director general’s mobile number, I called him. He claimed that the stoppage was to allow a train from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma to pass,” he said.
