Moro-Makutupora SGR trial rides set for later this month

The 422km Morogoro-Makutupora section is 96.5 percent complete while the 368km Makutupora-Tabora section is at 14 percent.

Masanja Kadogosa, Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) Chief Executive Officer, said this on Tuesday before members of the Parliamentary committee on Infrastructure Development who toured the Makutupora-Tabora -Isaka -Mwanza SGR projects.

Members of the committee started the tour at Itigi SGR workshop and witnessed the ongoing activities before proceeding to Tabora.

He thanked the committee for the support that, among others, have seen the parliament approve the budget for the project as well as other investments.

Kadogosa said that despite the ongoing rains that have slowed the construction activities, he expressed confidence that the project will be completed within time.

According to the CEO, the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro route will officially begin before the end of July this year as was suggested by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

He said the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) was working on other related issues, including fare arrangements.

The SGR railway has the ability to carry heavy loads at high speed as opposed to the current meter gauge railway. Tanzania’s SGR uses electric locomotives and has the capacity to transport passengers and cargo shipments at 160 kilometers per hour.

The SGR will link Tanzania, from the Port of Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean to the port of Mwanza on the shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania, and from there to neighboring countries of Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.