By Victor Karega
The Citizen Correspondent
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania and Uganda have set aside over 13,000ha of land for the construction of a railway line to link Tanga port and Kampala via Musoma port, according to the minister for Transport, Omari Nundu.

Speaking during a programme aired by a local television station recently, Mr Nundu said that the chunk of land set by the two countries aims at integrating their economies as well as that of the region.

The minister stated that the joint investment project is estimated to cost over $3 billion (Sh4.8 trillion) and would include construction of an 880km railway line from the Mwambani port (Tanga) to Musoma port and Port Bell in Uganda, according to schedules, feasibility studies are on course and would be ready this April.

“The cooperation level must be measured by material categories, how to invest what we intend to put in the implementation of the project,” he said.The railway line would handle Uganda and South Sudan cargo via Tanga and Musoma ports.

Tanga Port currently uses only 76.5 per cent of its 500,000 tonnes handling capacity of diverse cargo. He noted that the railway would be built on a standard gauge, which is used in most of the new age transport systems in the world. The standard gauge is cost effective compared to the broad gauge system.It is an historic occasion and the first such kind of a corridor between the two countries, the minister said.

“It will make it possible to move cargo from Tanga to Uganda via Musoma by rail and reduce the pressure on our roads as well as elongate the life span of our road network,” he added.Mr Nundu assured that the seaports and airports will be linked with rail services as a way of improving transport system in the country.

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