Nearly 1000 passengers and 30 Railways staff who were traveling from highland regions of Katavi, Kigoma and Tabora heading to Dar-es-salaam were stuck at the Dodoma station for more than six hours after their trains failed to proceed with journeys.
The reason, according to the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) management, is that there was communication breakdown between the two destinations of Dodoma and Dar-es-salaam following torrential rains that have been falling on various parts of the country.
While many of the 905 passengers were stuck in Dodoma, some, who could afford it, decided to take alternative bus and truck transportation from there to Dar-es-salaam, because many people are currently traveling back from up-country regions to the city, after the holidays.
Apparently gushing flood waters that have been caused by the ongoing rains, have swept off part of the railway infrastructure connecting Dodoma Region and Morogoro.
The damage is said to have occurred between the Godegode section of Mpwapwa District in the rural parts of Dodoma and the Kilosa District of Morogoro region.
The TRC has not explained how long it may take for the communication on the central railway to be restored back to form.
But the problem of rain water flooding railway lines in the area is common and has been occurring almost every year during the festival seasons, yet both the government and the Tanzania Railways Corporation have not been doing much to rescue the situation.
Joachim Chipondwa, commenting on social media, blames the early contractors who designed the railway line passage, who should have anticipated the problems from the start.
“That is why the Standard Gauge Railways (SGR) builders decided to circumnavigate the route elsewhere,” pointed out Chipondwa.
Another resident, Marcos Charlz says he once lived in the affected area and that floods are common especially in the stretch between Kidete and Mwasa as well as Maguru, Gulwe and Mzaganza that are located parallel to rivers prone to overflow during rains.
Alex Kaswile points out that even the areas between Makambako and Njombe in the Southern route are also notorious for flooding and a railway line also passes there.