DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) launched its inaugural trial journey of the electric standard gauge railway (SGR) train from the port city of Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, covering 300 kilometers, on Monday.

The trial runs marked a significant step forward in Tanzania's efforts to modernize its transportation infrastructure and boost connectivity across the nation, said TRC Director General Masanja Kadogosa.

Kadogosa said that Tanzania targets to replace the rather aged and less efficient meter-gauge railway system established during the colonial East African Railways era.

The South Korean-made train, coupled with the Turkish-Chinese-built railway line, is poised to become one of Africa's most advanced cargo and passenger rail systems, capable of reaching speeds of up to 160 km per hour.

According to Kadogosa, the enhanced speed will significantly reduce travel times and facilitate the efficient movement of goods and people throughout Tanzania.

Once commissioned for service in July 2024, the SGR trains, running at an average speed of 160 km per hour, will cut the time between Dar and Morogoro to about two hours from the current four-hour journey by buses and five hours by train on the old meter-gauge railway, he said.

The 300 km Dar es Salaam-Morogoro railway line is the first phase of the SGR project, which is expected to run up to Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria and Kigoma on the northeastern shores of Lake Tanganyika in five phases, he added. Enditem

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