SGR expansion deal sealed in Tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) has signed a 2.13 billion US dollars (about 5.38tri/-) construction contract with a Chinese consortium to build a key section of the electric Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Tanzania and Burundi.
The agreement, financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), was signed in Dar es Salaam yesterday between TRC and the consortium of China Railway Construction Engineering Group and China Railway Major Bridge Group (CRCEG/ CRMBG).
The project is expected to be completed within 72 months, including a 12-month review period. The new line will extend 282 kilometres (approximate ly 175 miles) from Uvinza, in Kigoma to Musongati in Burundi.
It will branch off from the existing Tabora-Kigoma SGR line at Uvinza, cross the Malagarasi River at the border and connect to Musongati, eventually reaching Gitega in Burundi.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Dar es Salaam, TRC Director General Masanja Kadogosa said the seventh segment of the line will be in Tanzania and the eighth will be in Burundi.
He said on January 28, 2022, Tanzania and Burundi entered into an agreement to collaborate on the construction of the railway linking Uvinza to Musongati Under the agreement, TRC has been designated as the implementing agency for the multinational project, which involves designing and constructing a 282-kilometre electrified railway line.
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“This is part of the second phase of SGR development, following the signing of the sixth segment contract from Tabora to Kigoma in Decem ber 2022. The implementation now covers three out of four sections of the second phase of railway construction.
“The first phase of the railway project extends from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza, while the second phase cov ers Tabora to Kigoma and its branches,” Mr Kadogosa said.
He added that construc tion of the Tabora-Kigoma section is progressing, with completion currently at 7.12 per cent. The progress has facilitat ed the implementation of the Uvinza-Musongati segment, as it would have been impos sible to begin the Musongati extension without first com pleting the Tabora-Kigoma stretch, according to Kado gosa.
Mr Kadogosa said that the contract for this segment is valued at 2.13 billion US dollars (about 5.38tri/-) and is funded by the African Devel opment Bank (AfDB).
The project is set to be completed within 72 months, including a 12-month review period. The 282-kilometre seg ment includes 240 kilometres of main track and 42 kilome tres of passing loops, he said.
Mr Kadogosa said that as part of the project, a one-kilo metre-long bridge connecting Tanzania and Burundi will be constructed.
This bridge is designed to accommodate both rail and road transport.
Additionally, the project includes seven passenger stations and a freight depot.
Chairman of China Railway Construction Engineering Group, Mr Chen Yun said the company has a longstanding history in Africa, recalled that five decades ago, CRCEG was involved in constructing the 1,860-kilometre Tanzania Zambia Railway (TAZARA), overcoming significant chal lenges and strengthening relations between China and Tanzania.
“We are honoured to take part in this SGR project, which is a testament to our technical expertise and a further opportunity to deepen cooperation between Tanzania, Burundi and China,” Mr Yun said. He assured that the railway would be built to high standards and would become another landmark project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Chief Transport Engineer overseeing AfDB investments in Tanzania, Mumina Wa-Ky endo, described the project as a crucial step toward regional integration. “This railway is expected to link with other East African networks as well as the South ern African system, strengthening connectivity across the continent,” Mr Wa-Kyendo said.
He further said that this investment is one of the largest transport projects on the continent.
The AfDB’s total invest ment in Tanzania’s transport sector now stands at 2.5 billion US dollars, accounting for 70 per cent of the bank’s overall investments in the country.
Finance Minister Mwigulu Nchemba assured that funds for the project were already secured and were awaiting the selection of a contractor to begin the work.
He said that securing AfDB funding for a railway project in East Africa for the first time represents a significant achievement.
“To ensure the railway’s efficiency and economic vi ability, it is crucial to complete all segments. The remaining sections linking Tabora to Kigoma and Uvinza to Musongati are in the final stages of agreement and their construction will proceed without delays,” Dr Nchemba said.
Burundi’s Minister for Infrastructure, Mr Dieudonné Dukundane, said that the con tractor had committed to mobilising their team at the site within two weeks of signing the contract.
