Tanzania Launches East Africa’s First Electric Standard Gauge Railway

Tanzania has taken a significant step forward in its transportation infrastructure with the launch of its first electric train, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

The state-of-the-art electric and signaling system, built by Turkish company Yapi Merkezi, transported 1,400 passengers on the maiden journey from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, covering a 300-kilometer distance in just two hours, the news agency mentioned.

According to the news agency, this milestone project, celebrated as Eastern Africa’s first electric standard-gauge railway, is part of Tanzania’s broader plans to enhance connectivity and economic opportunities across the region.

The sleek, sky-blue Dar es Salaam railway station, designed with passenger comfort in mind, serves as the hub for the expansive 1,300-kilometer railway network set to link major cities and neighboring landlocked countries.

Muslims comprise over 30 percent of the population of Tanzania, the largest country in East Africa.