Tanzania is unlikely to meet the November deadline
for the first phase of the 300-km-long $1.9 billion standard gauge railway
being built between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro.
Sources from the Tanzania Railways Corporation
told The EastAfrican that the current short rains have slowed
laying of the tracks on concrete sleepers along the line.
The rains have also paralysed drilling works at a
hill where a tunnel needs to pass through as well as building of bridges, which
have to be constructed in dry weather.
Jamila Mbarouk of TRC said despite a slow-down in
construction, the SGR project is at an advanced stage. She said construction at
various sites has reached 70%.
The contractors, Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi, in
partnership with Portuguese firm Mota-Engil Africa have completed a stretch of
210 kilometres and are finalising works on the main stations.
She said the first phase has six main stations at Dar es Salaam, Pugu, Soga, Ruvu, Ngerengere and finally Morogoro. The Dar es Salaam and Morogoro stations will be the biggest.https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/First-phase-tanzania-sgr-likely-miss-deadline-slowed-by-rains/2560-5335332-7cull4z/index.html
