Blitz Bureau
Tanzania’s new electric train, the first in East Africa, has broken new ground for ushering in the modern railway system in the region, as per a BBC report. The new sparkling railway terminal in Dar es Salaam showcases Tanzania’s modern transport ambitions.
The trains which are powered by electricity, carry passengers from Dar es Salaam, the commercial hub to the capital, to Dodoma, in less than four hours, half the time it takes by road.
It marks the starting point of one of the country’s strategic projects – the building of a 2,560 km (1,590- mile) Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) which envisages to connect key cities and link up with neighbours Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 460 km (285-mile) Dar es Salaam to Dodoma leg has been open since October 28, when President Samia Suluhu described the railway as a pathway to the future that would enhance Tanzania’s standing in the region.
A grand building
In Dodoma, the station is another grand building, resembling the rocky hills around the city – an effort to blend the country’s natural heritage with modernity.
But as most commercial activity, and even some Government work, continues in Dar es Salaam, a fast and efficient transport link between the cities has been seen as vital. The electric train has also made it smooth and convenient for the ordinary Tanzanian. A far cry from the experience on the road or the older slower, narrower train that this service replaces.
Inside the train carriage, the seats are clean, comfortable and reclinable. There is a foldable tray table attached to each one. A member of the train crew is on hand to sell hot and cold drinks as well as snacks. The terminal in Dar es Salaam is designed to resemble the gemstone tanzanite In economy class there are five seats in each row, three on one side of the aisle and two on the other. In the business and luxury (royal) classes there are two seats on either side of the row, offering more comfort and legroom.
Happy passengers
“We are grateful, we are not tired,” Gloria Sebastian who lives in Dar es Salaam, said during a trip to visit her family in Dodoma. She is happy about the convenience that the train provides. The man who is overseeing the building and operation of the SGR service says at least 7,000 passengers travel on the eight daily services on the line, which is already approaching capacity.
Machibya Masanja told the BBC that the demand has been so high that “we cannot meet it with those trips we are making per day. We expect the number [of passengers] will double or triple.” There are plans afoot to add more journeys.
