The government in Dar es Salaam has used a total of US$1 billion of the US$2 billion budget for the Tanzania SGR project otherwise known us the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro-Dodoma-Singida Standard Gauge Railway project. Director-General of the Tanzania Railways Corporation, Mr Masanja Kadogosa said at a media briefing, that they have achieved a lot under the President’s, John Magufuli, leadership over the past four years. He expects that by April next year, the first section of the SGR project from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro will have been finalised because they have already accomplished 72 per cent and have finished over 22 per cent of the Dodoma-Singida section.
Most of the groundworks for the multi-billion dollar Tanzania SGR project have been completed such as the electrifications, calverting, earthwork and bridges by over 80 per cent.
Problems facing the project
Previously, they had failed to meet the November deadline for the first phase of the 300km-long SGR railway from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro due to the short rains slowed laying of the tracks on concrete sleepers along the line in November. The rains also paralysed drilling works at a hill where a tunnel needs to pass through as well as the building of bridges, which have to be constructed in dry weather.
The contractors for the project are, Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi in partnership with Portuguese firm Mota-Engil Africa who have completed a stretch of 210 kilometres and are finalising works on the main stations.
This first phase has six main stations at Dar es Salaam, Pugu, Soga, Ruvu, Ngerengere and finally Morogoro. The Dar es Salaam and Morogoro stations will be the biggest.
Overall, Tanzania SGR project will cover 1,457kms from Dar es Salaam to the shores of Lake Victoria and will cost $7.5 billion over the next five years. The Tanzania Railways Corporation plans to procure 1,430 cargo wagons and 20 locomotives for the line that will be serving the neighbouring countries of Uganda, Zambia, DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
Extract from constructionreviewonline.com