On 6th October 2021, the Minister of Works and Transport of Tanzania Prof. Makame Mbarawa has received 44 new freight wagons at the port of Dar es Salaam for the Tanzania Intermodal and Rail Development Project (TIRP).
The TIRP is a USD 300million World Bank-funded project for the revival of the meter-gauge railway network in Tanzania.
The TIRP project intends to rehabilitate the meter-gauge railway from Dar es Salaam to Isaka (970km) to increase its capacity of carrying freight from 13.5 tonnes axle load to 18.5 axle load.
The new carriages will be used to transport cargo from the port of Dar es Salaam to the dry port of Isaka in the Shinyanga region using the old railway that has been upgraded through the TIRP project.
Speaking at the event, Minister Mbarawa stressed that the TIRP and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) projects will strengthen the country’s economy and change the lives of the general population through better and more reliable transport services. Mr. Mbarawa also added that the government will continue to provide funding for the rehabilitation of the country’s railway infrastructure.
Tanzania Meter Gauge Railway (MGR)
The Tanzanian Central Corridor railways is a Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) connecting the port of Dar es Salaam in the east with the central and western areas of the country and terminating at Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika in the west.
Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)
The government of Tanzania is currently expanding the country’s rail network with the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) along the central corridor.
SGR has the ability to carry heavy loads at a higher speed than MGR.
The Tanzanian SGR consists of a network of 1,219 km developed in five phases.