The Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) has dismissed reports in some sections of the media suggesting that they are in the process of procuring diesel engines to ensure uninterrupted operations of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) services in case of power outages.
According to media reports, TRC announced it will purchase diesel-powered engines to support railway transportation activities in the country. This is as a result of the frequent power outages that affect many parts of the country.
”Fedha za injini tayari zimetengwa katika bajeti yetu. Mchakao wa ununuzi unaendelea na tunatarajia kupata injini mwaka ujao”
(Funds for the engines have already been allocated in our budget. The procurement process is ongoing, and we expect to receive the engines next year,) said Masanja Kadogosa, the Director General of the Tanzania Railway Corporation.
TCR took to their Facebook page, where they flagged the reports by the BBC as ‘Ipuuzwe’ (disregard it) without providing further elaboration.
Electric-powered trains in Tanzania carry passengers from the commercial city of Dar es Salaam to the capital city, Dodoma, in under four hours, half the time it would take by road.
TRC are yet to address the power outages that have at times affected the smooth operation of the SGR services.
The construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which is 2,560 kilometers (1,590 miles) long, is expected to connect key cities and link neighboring countries, including Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
