Tanzania's Dar es Salaam-Dodoma SGR services start with ‘positive response’
What you need to know:
- Speaking during a New Year speech, President Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered the train services through the SGR line to start no later than this July.
Dar es Salaam. Electric train services between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma started Thursday with the operator saying the passengers responded positively to the inaugural trip.
The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) director general, Mr Masanja Kadogosa, said the train left with over 900 passengers while other people missed tickets.
“We are starting with 14 wagons and all are full,” said Mr Kadogosa before the departure in the morning.
“This is a milestone for us because we have managed to beat the deadline,” he said.
Speaking during a New Year speech, President Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered the train services through the SGR line to start no later than this July.
He said President Hassan will officially launch the trains in a ceremony expected next week but did not specify the date.
He said the services were pre-launch, just as they began between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro, but the official launch will be announced later.
According to him, the train can carry over 20 locomotives but the corporation started with 14.
"We thank Tanzanians for their response. This train is full in both business and regular classes and some people missed tickets,” he said, adding that a train from Dodoma to Dar es Salaam departed at 5:30 am while that from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma left at 6.00am.
Passengers were seen queuing at the boarding gates in the morning, ready for the inaugural train.
Ms Christina Mulila from Chanika in Dar es Salaam expressed her joy of traveling by train for the first time.
"I decided to be among the first passengers of the Dodoma route to feel the experience. I expect to reach my destination at the right time with better transportation," she said.
Mr Zakaria Nundi, a resident of Kigamboni, said he was delighted to join others in traveling to Dodoma and hopes it will be reliable.
"I believe it is good transportation and the government is doing an excellent job," he said.
Another passenger, Rose Mchau said she was happy to make history.
"I am visiting my home village in Dodoma and wanted to be part of the SGR historic moment,” she said.
On June 14 of this year, TRC started a SGR journey from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro as trial but it recently reported to be experiencing “overwhelming response” from passengers.
