Tanzania’s SGR awaits 264 cargo wagons in shipment from China
What you need to know:
- The cargo wagons departed from the port of Dalian, China, on November 12, 2024, and are expected to arrive in Tanzania by mid-December 2024, TRC said in a statement on Friday November 15, 2024
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) has announced the completion of 264 cargo wagons built for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network.
Tanzania is building the 2,561-kilometre line that will link the Indian Ocean port of Dar es Salaam to Mwanza on Lake Victoria, with eventual spurs to Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Rwanda, and Uganda.
Currently, a section between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, through Morogoro, has become operational for passenger trains, while construction of other segments is progressing.
The cargo wagons departed from the port of Dalian, China, on November 12, 2024, and are expected to arrive in Tanzania by mid-December 2024, TRC said in a statement on Friday November 15, 2024.
“This consignment includes 200 wagons for container transportation and 64 wagons designated for loose cargo,” TRC stated in a statement signed by the corporation’s head of public relations, Mr Freddy Mwanjala.
The order is part of a larger contract for the production of 1,430 wagons by the Chinese manufacturing company CRRC.
The TRC aims to enhance its cargo handling capacity and improve transport logistics through the acquisition, marking a significant step towards supporting economic growth and trade in Tanzania and the East African region.
TRC emphasised that the new wagons align with Tanzania’s goal of expanding its railway infrastructure to meet international standards.
On November 1, 2024, TRC rolled out a new electric multiple unit (EMU) passenger train on the SGR which has overwhelmingly attracted travelers.
This was just a few months after it officially launched electric train passenger services from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro and Dodoma.
Construction ongoing
TRC acting director general Mateshi Tito said on Thursday November 12 that the government had concluded discussions with three international financial institutions who will finance the section from Uvinza in Kigoma (Tanzania) to Musongati in Burundi.
The institutions include Standard Chartered, China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) and Africa Development Bank (AfDB).
He also updated the construction progress for all the lots, saying they were currently ongoing well, with the section from Maktupora to Tabora estimated at 14.53 percent in October this year while the Tabora-Isaka was at 6.14 percent.
According to him, the Isaka- Mwanza section is at 60.62 percent while the Tabora-Kigoma section is at 6.68 percent.
