What if a railway station could do more than receive trains? What if it could become a gateway to the capital , linking buses, bajajis, taxis, pedestrians and new businesses in one seamless urban space?
That was the question at the heart of Thursday’s SymbioCity Workshop in Dodoma, where government institutions, development partners and technical experts gathered at the Samia Suluhu Hassan SGR Station to explore the future of the station and its surrounding area.
The workshop is part of the Dodoma SGR Project Preparation Facility (PPF) and Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Pilot, led by the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC), financed by Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and support from Sweco.
With support from Sweden through Sida and Sweco, the workshop is exploring how the SGR station and its surrounding area can develop into a connected, sustainable and people-centred part of Dodoma.
Rather than beginning in a conference room, participants started with a walk through the station area looking at the site, its connections and its possibilities.
The message was clear: the station cannot be planned in isolation from the city.
Discussions focused on how passengers could move effortlessly from the SGR into the wider transport network.
Ideas included a regional bus and transport exchange hub, better connections for daladalas, taxis, bajajis and bodabodas, e-mobility facilities and parking.
The planning also considers the possibility of integrated ticketing and stronger links to major destinations across Dodoma. Just as important was the human experience.
How safe is it to walk from the station? Is it easy to find the next mode of transport? Can people with different mobility needs navigate the space comfortably? And what happens when thousands of passengers arrive and depart? These questions are shaping the vision for a more accessible, safe and people-centred station area.
The land surrounding the station could also become a major driver of Dodoma's urban and economic growth.
The approximately 300,000-square-metre station area, subject to further confirmation, has potential for commercial, residential, institutional, hospitality and office development alongside transport infrastructure.
The ambition is to create a place where people do not simply pass through, but where businesses, services and public spaces make the station part of everyday city life.
This approach aligns with Dodoma's wider transformation. The planning is being coordinated with major initiatives including the World Bank-supported Dodoma Integrated and Sustainable Transport Project (DIST) and Transforming and Accelerating the Implementation of the Dodoma Concept (TACTIC), as well as road, public transport and future commuter railway investments.
Green development is also part of the picture, with discussions covering urban greening, climate resilience, drainage, tree planting, universal accessibility and electric vehicle charging.
The workshop brought together stakeholders including TRC, Dodoma City Council, the Regional Administrative Secretariat, TANROADS, TARURA, LATRA and World Bank DIST and TACTIC teams, alongside the Swedish Embassy and Sweco.
The work now moves towards developing a coordinated spatial concept plan and assessing options for an SPV that could help TRC develop its strategic land and station assets.
The bigger idea is simple: build the station around the city, not the city around the station.
And if the vision takes shape, Dodoma's SGR station could become much more than a place to catch a train. It could become one of the capital's defining new gateways.