Geza Ulole
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- Oct 31, 2009
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July 8, 2018
The local experts, whose fields range from engineering to operators, are expected to be trained in South Korea, Ethiopia, China, Turkey and India.
Launched by President John Magufuli this year, the standard gauge railway, whose construction is being undertaken by a Turkish firm, Yapi Merkezi, and a Portuguese company, Mota-Engil, is expected to link the port of Dar es salaam with Mwanza and other regions including neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi.
Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) Executive Director Masanja Kadogosa told reporters yesterday in Dar es Salaam at the 42nd Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair-2018 (TANTRADE) that Tanzania had already signed agreements with the five countries.
He said the move aimed at ensuring that local experts were fully equipped and trained to operate much awaited modern form of railway transport in the country.
Construction of the mega project, which is being undertaken in phases, is going on at a quick pace.
The first stretch is from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro while the second is from Makutupora, in Dodoma region, to Morogoro.
Kadogosa, a former Reli Assets Holding Company (RAHCO) boss before it was merged with Tanzania Railways Limited (TRL), said only qualified operators had been selected for the training.
“We have selected a team of experts in communication, logistics, technicians, civil, and electrical engineering including locomotive operators,” he said.
According to him, the course duration will be from six months to two years, depending on the type of course.
Tanzania has chosen the five countries to train local experts due to their experience in running bullet trains in their respective countries.
Kadogosa said local personnel needed more training and skills acquisition from experienced countries to man the new mode of transport
“Through this collaboration in technology, local experts will be able to cope with the technology to run the SGR system effectively,” he said.
“Local personnel who will leave for training in Turkey will have to wait a bit for the election temperature in the host country to cool down,” he said. Turkey held presidential elections last month.
Regarding the speed of SGR construction, he said it was running concurrently with the construction of modern electric workshops.
“We have already achieved a 30 per cent mark in the construction of pillars from Dar es Salaam to Pugu station for the railway,” he said.
According to him, construction of the 205-kilometre first phase from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro station will be completed on time since the contractors has increased manpower and machinery.
The 30-month first phase project, which is part of the 1,219 kilometres stretching to neighbouring East African Community countries, is expected to cost Sh2.7 trillion, with the entire project from Dar es salaam to Mwanza expected to cost $7bn.
Phase one of the project is designed for passenger trains with speeds of up to 160km/h and freight trains of a top speed of 120km/h. It will have six stations including a dry port at Ruvu, and will be able to carry 17 million tonnes of freight annually.