20:08
Another consignment of
50 new train cargo wagons was this weekend delivered along with 22 passenger
coaches.
The consignment is part
of an ordered 274 wagons procured by government at a total cost of 45.54bn/- to
increase the capacity of railway cargo transportation to 1m tonnes per year
from the current 155,000 tonnes.
Speaking to reporters
yesterday in Dar es Salaam when receiving 50 new cargo wagons together with 22
passenger coaches, Transport Minister Harrison Mwakyembe said in the past few
years, the capacity of cargo wagons dropped drastically.
“The situation was due
to the few available locomotives engines and cargo wagons, but also the budget
was not sufficient to purchase more wagons,” he explained noting that the
45.54bn was allocated for the purpose in the 2014/15 financial year budget.
He said that, the
government has already received 100 wagons out of the expected 274 with the
remainder due at the end of this year.
“50 of them came in
last week and these are 50 more,” he said and noted that the 22 passenger
coaches received were made in France by a company based in South Korea known as
CIM LOGERAIL at a cost of 28bn/- equivalent to 1.3bn/- per each passenger
coach.
The Minister also
revealed that, they have managed to construct 8 locomotive engines in a
Morogoro based plant that has cost a total of 26.4bn/- and the government
has set aside 26.214bn/- to manufacture another 8 locomotives engines at the
plant.
“We have already
purchased 13 locomotives engines that cost 70.9bn/- which are expected to come
in the next month,” Mwakyembe revealed and seized the opportunity to ask the
government to release the remaining budgetary allocation to allow successful
completion of the ministry’s plans.
Speaking before
receiving the passenger coaches and cargo wagons, Prime Minister Mizengo Peter
Pinda, said Tanzania Railway Limited (TRL) is serving about 2707 km of railway
line across the country but its capacity has deteriorate over the last
few years.
“It has declined from
being able to carry up to 5m tonnes per year to the current 1.5m tonnes per
year because of lack of cargo wagons,” the PM said.
“The government has
noted that problem and we will make sure we push for funds to boost the revival
of our railway,” he pledged.
The Premier urged for
the public to be educated on proper use of the infrastructure for longevity
warning that saboteur will be met with stringent legal action.
source:IPPmedia
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