Electricity powered, multinational Standard Gauge Railway Line is being hatched to link Tanzania and Burundi.
The two governments the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Burundi have jointly applied for financing from the African Development Bank to bankroll the ambitious project.
It means the AfDB will fund the construction of the SGR section linking Uvinza in Kigoma on the Tanzania side, with Gitega via Musongati in Burundi.
The Standard Gauge Railways section is going to make the first phase in the proposed Tanzania to DR Congo via Burundi railway line.
Part of the agreed amount for the loan will foot the bills under the contract for Consultancy Services for Review of Design and Supervision of Works for Construction of a Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) under Design and Build Arrangement.
Both Governments of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Burundi have entered into a bilateral agreement and appointed the Tanzania Railways Corporation as the implementing agency for the anticipated multinational project.
The services for which the loan applies and included under this project are Consultancy Services for Review of Design and Supervision of Works for Construction of a Standard Gauge Railway under Design and Build Arrangement.
The scope of works will be the design and construction of about 282 kilometers of an electricity powered, Standard Gauge Railway line from Uvinza in Tanzania, where it branches off the Tabora to Kigoma SGR line.
The new railway line will run across the international border along the Malagarasi river in Kigoma, Tanzania to Musongati and onwards to Gitega, both in Burundi.
As it happens, Tanzania and Burundi have entered into a bilateral agreement to implement this multinational SGR transport line as a single project within Tanzania to Burundi territories.
This means there will be a single works contractor and a single supervising consultant for the entire project.
However, for purposes of administration, the project is being divided into two sections (lots).
The first section consists of the 156 kilometers on the Tanzanian side, to be executed in one package.
The second lot entails the remaining 126 Kilometers on the Burundi side, but according to officials this section will be implemented in two packages.
The Uvinza to Gitega Railway Line will be the second multinational train transport project which Tanzania partakes.
The first was the Dar-es-salaam to Kapiri-Mposhi project built in the early 70s under the Tanzania – Zambia Railways (TAZARA).
Related: Tanzania to Link Rwanda, Burundi and Congo with Electric Trains from Dar
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