Tanzania Railways Limited
The Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC ) is a state-owned railway company. In addition to the Tanzania - Zambia Railway Authority started in 1976, it offers rail transport in Tanzania.
History
Already in 1891 a railway company for German East Africa was founded with the goal of connecting the port of Tanga on the foot of the Usambara Mountains with Lake Victoria. Since 1893 the Line was driven by Thong. Because of under-capitalization, the company had to be taken over in 1899 by the state. But only after the First World War, already under the British Mandate, the track reached 437 km in 1929, its current endpoint, Arusha. It is now referred to as Usambara.
The central railway from Dar es Salaam followed as a second major railway project of the German colony. To this end, the East African Railways ( OAEG ) of railway construction from 1904 was established, funded by the German Empire and started in 1905. Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika in 1914, on the eve of the First World War, reached at kilometer 1252. The scheduled time of driving time over the total distance was just under 58 hours. Both lanes were initially without connection with each other.
The British Mandate administration complemented the central orbit around the stitch lines Tabora - Mwansa ( 379 km ) to the south shore of Lake Victoria, Kilossa - Mikumi and Manjoni - Kinjangiri ( built in 1931, ceased operations after 1948). It was also a connection between Moshi at the Usambara and Voi on the Uganda railway in the Kenya and Uganda Railways in Kenya and in 1954, the Southern Province Railway created as the third island operation with the connection of the port Mtwara with Nachingwea and Massassi in the track width 610 mm. The latter, however, was abandoned after less than five ten years of operation.
After independence, Tanzania's central and Usambara were connected in parallel to the coast with a range of Mruazi after Ruvu. During the time of the East African Union, which covered the area of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, was among the Tanzanian network for East African Railways (EAR ). The community was disbanded in 1977.
Driving
The track width of the TRC is 1,000 mm, the total length of the routes 2.600 km. All routes are single track. The traction is carried out exclusively by diesel locomotives.
Today's most important connection is the Central Railway, which runs from Dar es Salaam over the capital Dodoma to Kigoma port on Lake Tanganyika. This main east- west link has several branches:
- Haul km 79: Ruvu - Arusha (length: 565 km )
- Distance km 289: Kilosa - Kidatu (length: 108 km) (also the station TAZARA train)
- Distance 595 km: Manyoni - Suma - Singida (length: 115 km)
- Distance km 850: Tabora - Mwanza on Lake Victoria (length: 379 km ) with a continuous connection ( ferry ) to the Uganda Railway
- Distance 973 km: Kaliua - Mpanda (length: 210 km)
The railway company has therefore (in theory) to the northwest (Uganda) and North East ( Kenya) the opportunity to cross-border traffic. Because of political differences between and political unrest in some of the states involved this does not exist in practice. Also a Umspurung on the 1067- mm gauge the TAZARA found in the cities in which touch the two systems, not instead of.
For many years the traffic of the TRC has decreased. Passenger trains currently traveling regularly only on the central train and two of them branching lines. The competition from buses was the track both in terms of transport frequency, price and also inferior speed. The rotting fleet could no longer balance of comfort. There are three classes of cars, with the top two in the form of the sleeping car exist, with sleeper second class rather the standard of a couchette.
The Company
The company was founded after the collapse of the East African Railways with the stock located in Tanzania in 1977. The headquarters of the company since its founding Dar es Salaam. The Board currently consists of:
- L. Mboma (Director General )
- P. J. Kyesi ( Project Co -ordinator )
- R. D. Shamte ( Chief Commercial Manager)
The state of Tanzania was the sole owner of the TRC. Since 1998, a privatization of the railway was sought whose start was postponed several times. 2007 finally acquired the Rail India Technical and Economic Services ( RITES ) Ltd.. from India, a global transportation company, 51 % of the shares of TRC and the concession for the transport of people and cargo for a period of 25 years. This agreement was signed on 3 September 2007 and entered into force on 1 October 2007. The railway company is called Tanzania Railway Ltd. operated. The Tanzanian government has a 49 % stake ..
The World Bank approved a loan of 33 million U.S. dollars to modernize infrastructure and car park. 90 locomotives, 1,280 freight cars and 110 passenger cars should be replaced.