Tanzania Unveils $3.1 Billion Railway to Transform National and Regional Trade

Tanzania has launched a $3.1 billion modern standard gauge railway to enhance its transport infrastructure. The 541-kilometer railway, constructed by the Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi, connects the administrative capital, Dodoma, with the commercial hub, Dar es Salaam. This project is part of a broader initiative by African governments to develop infrastructure such as roads, railways, and bridges. However, there has been criticism over the loans from countries like China, which some argue could burden future generations with debt.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan inaugurated the electric train services at a ceremony in Dar es Salaam and took a four-hour train ride to Dodoma. The newly launched sections are part of a planned 2,561-kilometer rail network aimed at boosting domestic and regional trade. In 2020, Tanzania secured a $1.46 billion loan from Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania to partially fund the newly launched stretch.

Hassan emphasized the government's commitment to extending the railway to Kigoma to enhance regional trade connectivity. The administration is also working on a rail line towards Mwanza on Lake Victoria and planning another to Kigoma, linking with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. At a stop in Morogoro, Hassan highlighted the railway's potential to transform local businesses.

The rail link to Burundi is expected to facilitate the annual transport of three million tons of minerals, including nickel, to Dar es Salaam's port, according to the Tanzanian finance ministry. This development underscores Tanzania's strategic efforts to bolster its infrastructure and economic prospects.