Recently, a consortium led by China Railway Engineering Design and Consulting Group, a subsidiary of CREC, signed a $2.154 billion (excluding tax) contract with Tanzania Railways Corporation for the construction of a standard gauge railway (SGR), marking another major breakthrough for CREC in African infrastructure development.
The signed project includes sections 7 and 8 of Tanzania’s “Standard Gauge Railway Corridor Development Plan” (SGR). Section 7 covers the 156-kilometer stretch from Uvinza to Malagarasi in Tanzania, while Section 8 extends 84 kilometers from Malagarasi to Musongati in Burundi. Once completed, the railway will form a transport corridor connecting Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Port directly to the Musongati nickel mining area in Burundi. The project is planned to be completed within 72 months.
The SGR Project railway has a total planned length of 651 kilometers and will eventually connect Dar es Salaam Port on the Indian Ocean with Mwanza Port on Lake Victoria, extending into inland countries to form a regional railway network. This network will enhance freight transport speed and reduce transportation costs. Sections 7 and 8 are crucial components of the SGR Project railway, holding significant strategic importance. The implementation of the SGR project is expected to have a profound impact on regional economic development.
