The Tanzania Railway Corporation (TRC) has announced the arrival of the new Electric Trains that have just arrived in the country from South Korea.
The trains are the first ever Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains that have reached at the Dar es Salaam port and has made a significant leap towards the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project of the country.
It marks a great significant victory as the initial set consists of five electric locomotives and the three passenger cars. The newly designed trains offer a glimpse of the future of the developing passenger transportation in Tanzania.
The state-of-the-art Electric Multiple Unit trains are purchased by the Tanzania government from the Hyundai Rotem company of South Korea.
The Hyundai Rotem is a South Korean company that mainly manufactures rolling stock, defence products and plant equipment. Hyundai Rotem is a part of the Hyundai Motor Group, which is a car and automobile manufacturing company.
It was earlier known as just with the name Rotem but in December 2007 the officials changed the name to Hyundai Rotem that reflects the parent company too. It is also known as Hyundai Railroad Technology Systems.
The EMU trains by Hyundai Rotem has boasted impressive features that are designed for comfort and convenience.
Reportedly, each train can accommodate up to 589 passengers running on the tracks at the speed of 160 km per hour. The new train units have ensured that the passengers feel comfortable while travelling and enjoy the amenities such as Wi-Fi, and air conditioning.
CCTV cameras will be installed for enhanced security, and a designated seat will be allotted to passengers with special needs.
Considering this, the Tanzania Railway Corporation stated that they expect to receive a total of 10 sets of EMU, with the remaining units arriving monthly until October 2024.
The TRC has already received 65 passenger cars and 9 electric locomotives to further bolster its fleet. The arrival of the trains signifies a major milestone for the SGR project.
Notably, Phase-1 will cover the route from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, which is 300km and is at 98%, Morogoro to Makutupora at 96%, Makutopora to Tabora at 13.98 per cent and Tabora to Isaka at 5.44%.
The other sections of the EMU and TRC are at various stages of development, with Mwanza to Isaka showing significant progress. The entire project is anticipated to be completed and finalised by 2025.