The government of Tanzania has plans to launch the second phase of the standard gauge railway (SGR) line which will link Dar es Salaam and the capital of Dodoma.
Speaking during the Eighth East and Central Africa Roads and Rail Infrastructure Summit Prof Makame Mbarawa, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communications said the construction will commence next month.
Phase II of the standard gauge railway stretches from Morogoro to Dodoma, a distance of 336 km. Once the project is complete, Tanzania plans to introduce a fast and modern train capable of travelling at 160kph. The freight trains will have a top speed of 120kph.
“We expect to see this railway line link Tanzania with other regional, landlocked states including Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, Zambia and Uganda through quick and timely access from Tanzania’s Indian Ocean ports,” said Prof Mbarawa
However, Tanzania is still seeking financial support for the US$1.2bn project. In April this year President John Magufuli launched phase I of the SGR project.
The SGR project is under the execution of Yapi Merkez Insaat Ve Sanayi, a Turkish construction together with Mota-Engil, Engenharie and Construcao Africa, SA of Portugal.
Dr Magufuli had asked South Africa to help Tanzania in lobby for loans from the BRICS-run New Development Bank. He also requested the World Bank president, Dr Jim Yong Kim to help in financing the project.
