Tanzania, Chinese firms sign agreement on 506-km railway project

DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's railway authorities have signed an agreement with two Chinese companies for the second phase of the construction of the 506-km standard gauge railway (SGR) from Tabora to Kigoma region.

The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, together with the China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, signed the agreement, which was witnessed Tuesday by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the State House in the port city of Dar es Salaam.

Masanja Kadogosa, TRC's director general, said the second phase of the construction of the SGR from Tabora to Kigoma was scheduled to be completed in December 2026.

Kadogosa said the first phase of the construction of the SGR involving five lots from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza started in 2017 and was scheduled to be completed in 2025.

Hassan commended the two Chinese companies, saying she hoped the construction of the 506-km SGR will be undertaken as planned.

She said the government of Tanzania has secured loans for funding the whole SGR project.

The head of state said the governments of Tanzania and Burundi have also signed a bilateral agreement for the construction of SGR from Uvinza in Tanzania to Gitega in Burundi that will link the two countries with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Uvinza-Gitega SGR covering 367 km will be linked with the Tabora-Kigoma SGR, said Kadogosa, adding that it will be built jointly by the governments of Tanzania and Burundi.

"The aim of these infrastructure projects is to make Tanzania a business and transportation hub," said Hassan.

Minister of Works and Transport Makame Mbarawa said the construction of the 506-km railway will bring the total mileage of SGR to be constructed in the country to 2,102 km.