Progress Report of Tanzanian section of Central Corridor of African Integrated High Speed Railway Network (AIHSRN : DAR ES SALAAM – BURUNDI – RWANDA -EASTERN DRC
Railways Africa Magazine in conversation with Masanja K. Kadogosa, the Director General of Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC)
Image: courtesy of tanzaniainvest.com
Central Corridor Tanzania SGR
Tanzania is 945,203 km2 which is nearly twice the size of France. It is the 13th largest country in Africa.
The SGR consists of a network of about 2,000 km developed in six phases:
Phase 1 : Dar es Salaam- Morogoro (300km) completed. Construction started April 2017. Yapı Merkezi from Turkey in partnership with Mota Engil Africa from Portugal
Phase 2 : Morogoro to Makutupora, Dodoma ( 422km) 94% completed. Construction started March 2018. Contract with Yapi Merkezi.
Phase 3 : Makutupora – Tabora ( 294km plus 78km of intersections) 13% completed. Construction started April 2022. Contract with Yapi Merkezi.
Phase 4 : Tabora- Isaka (130km plus 35km of intersections) 5% completed ( gateway to Rwanda). Construction started January 2023. Contract with Yapi Merkezi.
Phase 5 : Isaka- Mwanza ( 249km plus 92km of intersections ) 47% completed( Lake Victoria) China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and China Railway Construction. Agreement signed in January 2021.
Phase 6: Tabora-Kigoma (506km) Tabora-Uvinza-Kigoma ( DRC/Burundi) process in stage of mobilization: under procurement. Construction to start Jan/Feb 2025. Contract with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and China Railway Construction Company (CRCC).
Burundi and DRC in process of feasability study. Concept is to connect Tanzania-Burundi-DRC
Isaka- Rusumo-Kigali-Goma
Part of the Tanzanian railway is the connection to Goma, DRC via Kigali. TRC will construct up to the border. This is the very important INTEGRATED aspect of the African Integrated High Speed Railway Network (AIHSRN), connecting country to country by standardized modernized rail.
In the north of Tanzania there is another line under construction which goes from the Port of Tanga –Mount Kilimanjaro – Arusha – Musoma to connect to the Kenyan border.
The southern corridor of the Tanzania railway network will connect to Malawi and Mozambique
The TRC is constructing the Master Standard Gauge Railway Plan in segments to avoid risks and keep the contracts competative.
The SGR railway has the ability to carry heavy loads at high speed as opposed to the current Meter gauge Railway (MGR).
Tanzania’s SGR uses electric locomotives and has the capacity to transport passengers and cargo shipments at 160 kilometers per hour.