The Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) on Wednesday received three-meter gauge railway locomotives as part of implementation of a grand plan to upgrade the country's central line and enhance cargo transportation. The Malaysian SMH Rail H10 Series locomotives, valued at 9,1 million US Dollars, equivalent to 20,9bn/-, will help to create a green railway ecosystem by reducing emissions by 75 percent, supporting green operations, and operating in difficult terrains and weather.
TRC bought the three locomotives with a World Bank soft loan, as part of the Tanzania Intermodal and Rail Development (TIRP) project to revamp the central line, for which the Bank has provided a loan of approximately 680bn/-. Works and Transport Minister, Prof. Makame Mbarawa said during a handover ceremony in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday that they had received a letter from SMH Rail factory requesting a plot to build a facility for manufacturing locomotives and wagons in Tanzania.
SMH Rail intends to expand its operations by establishing a factory in Tanzania to produce locomotives and wagons for the SADC market. "This company had a factory in Morogoro. Let me assure you government support, but once your factory commences operations, we believe the prices of locomotives will decrease," he noted.
Prof. Mbarawa said the three locomotives have great potential and will increase the efficiency of Dar es Salaam Port and railway to bring development and economic growth within and outside the country. He also stated that they hope to receive two locomotives and 30 wagons for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project by the end of this month, after which the trial phase would begin. "In addition, the government has begun the process to import 17 electric train locomotives and 10 Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains, which we expect to arrive next year. We reached this arrangement in July of this year, and construction is on schedule," he said.
Recognizing the need to increase equipment, he said the government signed a contract for the purchase of 59 wagons in September 2020. So far it has reached 45 percent and the contract will expire in September 2022. According to him, the government is also ordering 1,430 freight wagons for the SGR, which will increase efficiency and improve customer service. Prof. Mbarawa added: "TRC ensures you buy equipment from the same factory to decrease maintenance costs and spare parts costs."
Mr. Masanja Kadogosa, TRC Director General, previously stated that these locomotives have a large capacity, with one locomotive capable of pulling 20 carts weighing 1,200 tons from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, as opposed to the previous situation where they were tied to two heads because of the steep elevation between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro. "From Morogoro, one head will be expanded to 2,000 tons, which is comparable to 33 carts, and this weight, if delivered by road, would be loaded with 66 vehicles, each with a capacity of 30 tons," he explained.
Mr. Kadogosa explained the locomotives were purchased to complement vehicles that transport cargo within and beyond the country, and not for any other purpose. The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), Ms. Angelina Ngalula, stated that they have been working closely with TRC and that they will continue to do so. "There is a perception that truck owners are afraid of railways, but this is not true; inefficiency and a lack of equipment were among the reasons truck owners did not choose railways, but following significant government reforms, we have now struck contracts with TRC," she said.
Ms. Ngalula, who is also the Chairperson of the Tanzania Truck Owners Association (TATOA), stated that truck owners will collaborate with TRC since they have shown that their efficiency has improved.