State-of-the-art train transports 1,400 passengers from coastal city of Dar es Salaam to Morogoro on its maiden journey, covering 300-kilometer distance

Tanzania launched its first electric train on Saturday, which transported 1,400 passengers from the coastal city of Dar es Salaam to Morogoro in the west on its maiden journey, covering a 300-kilometer (186-mile) distance.

Featuring state-of-the-art electric and signaling systems, the project—celebrated as Eastern Africa’s first electric standard-gauge railway—has been completed, Albawaba News reported.

With plans for the second segment nearly complete, Türkiye-based company Yapi Merkezi, responsible for four of the five sections of Tanzania’s extensive railway construction project spanning over 1,000 kilometers, has successfully finished the first segment.

Yapi Merkezi’s Project Manager M. Firat Aygen underlined the transformative impact of the newly inaugurated railway, describing it as the initial step towards a broader transportation revolution in the region.

Tanzania Railways Corporation’s General Manager Masanja Kadogosa highlighted the project’s significance in fostering economic growth and enhancing transportation efficiency throughout Tanzania and Eastern Africa.

He noted that the first journey, which transported 1,400 passengers for free, had reduced the travel time between the two cities to just two hours.

With a shimmering facade of sky-blue glass panels, the Standard Gauge Railway Station in Tanzania’s commercial hub Dar es Salaam looks more like an opulent airport terminal than a railway facility.