President Samia Suluhu Hassan will today, July 20, lay the foundation stone for the 506-kilometre Tabora–Kigoma Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), a flagship infrastructure project expected to transform transport, reduce travel time and strengthen Tanzania's role as a regional trade gateway.
The groundbreaking ceremony, to be held in Kigoma Region, marks the start of the sixth phase of the SGR network and is seen as a key step towards improving connectivity between the country's western regions, the Port of Dar es Salaam and neighbouring landlocked countries.
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Transport Minister Prof. Makame Mbarawa said the project is aligned with Tanzania's Development Vision 2050, which prioritises an integrated transport system linking railways, ports and other modes of transport to support trade, investment and economic growth.
The railway will be constructed at an estimated cost of $2.74 billion and will connect Kigoma to Tabora before linking with the wider SGR network serving Shinyanga, Mwanza, Dodoma, Morogoro and Dar es Salaam.
According to Prof. Mbarawa, the project will cut the journey between Dar es Salaam and Kigoma from more than 30 hours on the existing metre-gauge railway to about eight hours once SGR services begin, making passenger travel faster while lowering the cost and time of transporting goods.
He said the improved rail link is expected to enhance the efficiency of the Central Corridor by enabling cargo arriving at the Port of Dar es Salaam to move more quickly to Kigoma and onward to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other Central African markets.
The minister noted that the Tabora–Kigoma section will also connect with the planned Uvinza–Musongati railway in Burundi, a cross-border project being implemented jointly by the governments of Tanzania and Burundi.
Once completed, the interconnected railway network is expected to deepen regional integration, facilitate cross-border commerce and reinforce Tanzania's position as a strategic transport and logistics hub for East and Central Africa.
