New Rail Wagons In Line With Tanzania Transport Improvement Initiative

In an effort to improve the Tanzania transport sector via its central railway line, Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL) has acquired 25 new Ballast Hopper Bogie (BHB) wagons from Hindustan Engineering and Industries in India. The arrival of the BHB wagons will address issues related to the regular damage caused by rainwater to the railway line and will facilitate improvements to the line in order that it meet international standards. According to Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe, Tanzania Minister for Transport, the move is in line with the country’s Big Results Now (BRN) initiative to transition the country from a low income to a middle income economy. To this end, Dr. Mwakyembe indicated that plans are currently in place for the TRL to acquire additional wagons in an effort to increase the carriage capacity of the company from the 200,000 tons transported in 2012 to a projected 3.0 million tons by 2016. Because the Government of Tanzania has directed funds towards the improvement of the country’s transport sector, General Director of the Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL), Kipallo Kisamfu, indicated in a recent report by the Guardian that the TRL has prioritized the renovation of its railway tracks to facilitate the transport of goods “The government via its 2012/13/14 budgets has set funds for different projects being implemented by the company which are mainly focused on improving the working tools,” he said. Further steps towards the improvement of the Tanzania transport sector will be made via the acquisition of additional passenger wagons from the CIM Company in France as well as the arrival of 34 Break Vans from Lucky Export Company in India and 13 new trains from the EMD Company in the United States by January 2015.