World Bank issues USD 200 million for upgrading the railway line linking Dar-es-Salaam and Isaka

The World Bank recently endorsed a loan amounting to USD 200 million for the upgrading of one of the two main railway lines in Tanzania.

Through its International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank approved the USD 200 million loan to fund improvements on the narrow-gauge line running 970 kilometers connecting the Dar-es-salaam Port City with the inland town of Isaka.

Set to be disbursed over the coming six years, the money will pay for refurbishing tracks, repairing weak bridges, and improving two intermodal terminals on the railway line.

According to the World Bank the tracks along the 135 kilometers’ section between Tabora and Isaka will have to be replaced entirely.

“While the country’s transportation network is extensive, there are persistent bottlenecks in terms of maintenance and capacity that are limiting its full use,” said Nathan Belete, the World Bank Country Director.

“This investment will directly address the bottlenecks in the rail network to enhance efficiency, capacity, and competitiveness so as to maximize Tanzania’s unique position to facilitate regional connectivity.”

The bank said the project will help 3.5 million people in Tanzania, accounting for 5 percent of the country’s population including railway users, business entities, traders and communities living or operating within the Kinywasungwe catchment area.

The project is the second phase of the World Bank’s Tanzania Intermodal and Rail Development Project, or TIRP.

The first phase for the Tanzania Intermodal and Rail Development Project (TIRP-1) boosted the weight-bearing capacity on the 840 kilometers section between Dar es Salaam and Tabora.

This was to reinforce the track so that it could handle axle loads of 18.5 tons, up from the previous 13.9 tons.

The USD 200 million worth of loan funding will also pay for design studies and project-management support.

This new infrastructural development comes at the time when Tanzania is working hard to establish the country’s first hybrid Standard Gauge Railway line connecting Dar-es-salaam and the lake zone regions through Morogoro, Dodoma and Tabora.