Tanzania has intensified testing of its first fleet of electric trains that are expected to bring to life a 1,219-kilometer (757-mile) Standard Gauge Raiway line, whose construction costs $14.2 billion.
The project will run parallel to the ageing meter gauge railway line which had in recent decades undergone rapid wear and tear. The full service is expected to be launched in July.
It will boost the rail transport network as the East African coastal country eyes trade potential by linking the neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The trials focus on the 300-kilometre (186-mile) phase one connecting the port city of Dar es Salaam to the hinterland town of Morogoro.
High-speed trials were initially for the electric track and train engines but now include wagons, the Tanzania Railways Corporation said.
The trials, 11 done so far, included tests on the braking system, noise, comfort and stability.
Made up of four electric train engines and 62 wagons, the fleet will expand with five more engines expected to arrive by end of March, the railway authority said.
The SGR line is expected to ease cargo congestion on major highways, thus significantly reducing the cost of doing business in the Great Lakes region.
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