A train on Tanzania’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) heading to the capital, Dodoma, derailed on Thursday morning, an accident officials blamed on “operational hitches.”
According to the Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC), which operates the train service, three cars of the train derailed at around 8am as it approached Ruvu station from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. There were no reported deaths, and TRC did not indicate injuries, saying the operations had been temporarily stopped.
“A team of technical experts led by the secretary for transport, TRC managing director, security agencies and management of the TRC has launched a thorough investigation to determine the cause and ensure normal operations resume as soon as possible,” said a statement from the TRC on Thursday.
“We regret any inconveniences caused.”
In August 2024, Tanzania launched the 541km SGR train service between its administrative and commercial capitals. Built by Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi, the $3.1 billion line is part of the envisioned 2,561km rail network, which is expected to transport and trade with neighbouring countries.
In June this year, TRC started ferrying cargo into the hinterlands.
The train service has occasionally suffered delays and stalls due to electric supply hitches that sometimes persist for hours, indicating the need to closely develop other supportive infrastructure, like regular power supply.
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