Tanzania has unveiled a new electrified commuter railway line between Dar es Salaam and the capital Dodoma, aiming to modernize travel in the traffic-congested country. Built by the Turkish company Yapi Merkezi, the 440-kilometre (273-mile) line is part of a larger 2,561-kilometre Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) network designed to connect the north and west of the country to the Indian Ocean port city of Dar es Salaam.
Equipped with air-conditioned carriages from South Korea and built-in Wi-Fi, the new railway has quickly garnered popularity among travelers, offering a significant upgrade from the diesel buses that dominate Tanzania’s public transport.
“We have come a long way to have this service,” remarked Ruben Mtaita as he departed from Dar es Salaam. “We are making history.”
Following the launch of a 200-kilometre line from Morogoro to Dar es Salaam last month, the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) announced that it will operate daily trips on the new line, reducing the usual bus travel time by more than half to approximately three-and-a-half hours.
