Tanzania Railways Corporation

The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) is a state-owned enterprise that runs a railway net that once was part of the East African Railways Corporation (EARC) operating in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika. Together with the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority the TRC provides the rail service for Tanzania.

Operations

TRC's gauge is 1,000mm and the total length is about 2,600 km. Two east-west lines from the coast to the hinterland were initiated when the country was under colonial rule as German East Africa. The Central Line runs from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma, and the Tanga Line from Tanga to Arusha. A north-south connection, from Korogwe to Morogoro, links both lines. The mainline has further branches, one to Lake Victoria where through wagon ferries a connection exists to the Uganda Railway. From the Tanga line a now defunct connection goes north to Kenya that was in operation during the time of the EARC.There is a break-of-gauge at Dar es Salaam to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) that at 1,067mm links to Zambia.

A second link between these two lines is provided at Kidatu, where the TAZARA line met the already existing Kidatu branch.

Accidents

281 people died in the Igandu train disaster on June 24, 2002, the third largest train disaster in Africa.

Privatisation

In 2007 RITES Ltd. of India won a contract from the Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC) to operate passenger and freight services on a concession basis for 25 years. [ [http://www.dailynews-tsn.com/news.php?id=354 Rites Consortium to run railway in 2007] ] The concession agreement was signed on September 3 2007, and was to begin on October 1 2007. The railway will be run as Tanzania Railway Ltd, with the government owning a 49% stake.cite news | publisher="Railway Gazette International"| date=2007-09-12 | url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2007/09/7755/october_start_for_tanzania_rail_concession.html | title=October start for Tanzania rail concession | ] .

Timeline

2008

* Tender for steel sleepers 1,000mm gauge convertible to 1067mm gauge. [ [http://www.dgmarket.ro/eproc/np-notice.do?noticeId=2227315 Supply Of Steel Railway Sleepers, Shoulders, And Pandrol Clips ] ]
* Tender for concrete sleeper plant for dual 1,000mm and 1,435mm gauges. [ http://www.ppra.go.tz/latest_tenders/RAHCO1.pdf ]

2007

* The Deputy Minister for Infrastructure Maua Abeid Daftari proposes gauge conversion to standard gauge.

Gauge change

* Corridornet [ [http://www.corridornet.co.za/modules/articles/?Task=1&Irn=2177&CIrn=14 CorridorNet - Articles ] ]

See also

* TAZARA
* Transport in Tanzania

Links

* [http://www.psrctz.com/Advertised%20Opportunities/Advertised-Pre-qual%20Flyer%20TRC%20Sep%2003.htm History]

References

External links

* [http://www.trctz.com/networkmain.htm TRC network]
* [http://www.sasktel-international.com/InformationCoummicationTechnology/Global_Experience/Projects/Tanzanian_Railways_Corporation_Phase_2/ Optic Fibre Communications]