Page 18 - ASR 035 Flip Review Magazine

TRANSPORT TRANSPORT

He noted that the first journey, which and economic opportunities with
transported 1,400 passengers for free, neighboring landlocked countries like
had reduced the travel time between Uganda and Rwanda.
the two cities to just two hours. The SGR's entire route will run from
With a shimmering facade of sky-blue Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, a port city
glass panels, the Standard Gauge on the shore of Lake Victoria, and
Railway Station in Tanzania's commercial Kigoma, a city on the northeastern
hub Dar es Salaam looks more like an shores of Lake Tanganyika, near the
opulent airport terminal than a railway border with Burundi and the
facility. Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Inside, a maze of escalators gracefully That route will cover a total of nearly
glides passengers to various levels, 1,300 kilometers (around 810 miles).
offering a panoramic view of the For now, the section completed is from
bustling terminal below. Dar es Salaam to the capital Dodoma,
This architectural marvel, meticulously running approximately 460 kilometers
designed with passengers' comfort in (285 miles), which will be officially
mind, boasts state-of-the-art ticketing inaugurated on July 1.
counters and plush waiting lounges The South Korean-made train, coupled
equipped with charging ports and other with the Turkish-Chinese-built railway
amenities. line, is poised to become one of Africa's
The station serves the Standard Gauge most advanced cargo and passenger rail
Railway (SGR) electric train built by systems, capable of reaching speeds of
Turkish company Yapi Merkezi, a project up to 160 km per hour.
that represents a significant leap According to Mr. Kadogosa, the
forward for the East African nation's enhanced speed will significantly reduce
transportation infrastructure. travel times and facilitate the efficient
The electric train, a project worth movement of goods and people
nearly $2 billion, is seen as an immense Mr. Masanja Kadogosa, throughout Tanzania.
boost to domestic connectivity, trade
TRC Director General

The electric train, a
Tanzania Launches its First project worth nearly
$2 billion, is seen as an
Electric Train immense boost to
domestic connectivity,
trade and economic
th
anzania launched its first electric train on Saturday 15 June 2024, with 1,400 opportunities with
passengers from the coastal city of Dar es Salaam to Morogoro in the west
Ton its maiden journey, covering a 300-kilometer. neighboring landlocked
Featuring state-of-the-art electric and signaling systems, the project—celebrated as countries like Uganda
Eastern Africa's first electric standard-gauge railway—has been completed,
according to media reports. and Rwanda
With plans for the second segment nearly complete, Türkiye-based company Yapi
Merkezi, responsible for four of the five sections of Tanzania's extensive railway
construction project spanning over 1,000 kilometers, has successfully finished the
first segment.
The Project Manager M. Firat Aygen underlined the transformative impact of the
newly inaugurated railway, describing it as the initial step towards a broader
transportation revolution in the region.
Tanzania Railways Corporation's General Manager Masanja Kadogosa highlighted
the project's significance in fostering economic growth and enhancing
transportation efficiency throughout Tanzania and Eastern Africa.

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