TANZANIA inaugurated a 541-km modern standard gauge railway on Thursday, connecting its administrative capital Dodoma with the commercial hub Dar es Salaam. Built by Turkish company Yapi Merkezi, this railway is part of a broader initiative to improve transport infrastructure and boost trade in the region.
The launch ceremony was led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who flagged off the electric train services in Dar es Salaam and then took a four-hour train journey to Dodoma. This $3.1bn project is part of a planned 2,561-km rail network designed to facilitate domestic and regional trade.
Hassan emphasised the importance of the railway for Tanzania’s economic growth. ‘We are continuing to construct the railway up to Kigoma until we connect with neighbouring countries so that we can improve our businesses,’ she told cheering residents at one of the train stations on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.
The railway’s development was partly funded by a $1.46bn loan from Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania, signed in 2020. The government is also working on extending the rail network towards Mwanza, a port city on Lake Victoria, and planning a new line to Kigoma, which will connect with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
‘This railway is going to liberate our businesses,’ Hassan said during a stop in Morogoro. The railway link to Burundi is expected to transport three million tons of minerals, including nickel, annually to Dar es Salaam’s port, according to Tanzania’s finance ministry.
This ambitious infrastructure project aligns with the broader efforts of many African governments to enhance transportation networks. However, critics have raised concerns about the debt incurred from loans, particularly from countries like China, which they fear could burden future generations.
Tanzania’s investment in modern infrastructure aims to position the country as a regional trade hub, fostering economic growth and regional integration.
