Source: African Insider

Tanzania starts testing the Electricity System on the SGR Railway. Trains to begin work in May

13 March 2021

The Tanzania Railways Corporation plans to start testing the standard gauge railway electricity systems over three months, run by four sub-stations along the completed 300 kilometres stretch between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro.

This will ensure that the whole system is well installed and connected to the national grid whose electricity is supplied by three main sources of power: steam, gas and hydroelectricity generation.

Initially, the SGR testing was to be completed by end of April, after which grand testing of the locomotives was to be carried out from May. However, this had to be postponed to allow the main contractor to complete sensitive and delicate works on overhead bridges along the 14km stretch between Dar es Salaam and Pugu stations.

Speaking to The EastAfrican in Dar es Salaam recently, SGR project manager Machibya Masanja said that once the construction of overhead structures is complete, preparations for grand testing would take place for three months, prior to the official inauguration of goods and passenger service towards the end of the year.