The battle for the rails: Making Tanzania’s railways work

An electric passenger train during trial runs on the standard gauge railway (SGR) between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro earlier in the year.


Photo credit: PHOTO | FILE

The story of Tanzania’s railways is one of ambition, setbacks, and disappointments.

From the once-promising Tazara to the modern standard gauge railway (SGR), the battle for the rails mirrors Tanzania’s broader development challenges where sabotage, politics, and vested interests conspire to derail progress.